166 FRUIT RANCHING. 



sistently carried on all through ihe summer. The 

 object is to secure a finely pulverised tilth, or even 

 dust, on the surface. Mr. L. II. Bailey, one of the 

 most esteemed authorities on garden and orchard 

 cultivation in the United States, says: "A finely 

 divided, mellow, friable soil is more productive than 

 a hard and lumpy one of the same chemical composi- 

 tion, because it holds and retains more moisture, 

 holds more air, presents greater surface to the roots, 

 promotes nitrification [the absorption by roots of 

 trees of the nitrogen contained in decayed vegetable 

 matter incorporated with the soil], hastens the de- 

 composition of the mineral elements, has less variable 

 extremes of temperature, allows a better root hold to 

 the plant. In all these ways and others the mellow- 

 ness of the soil renders the plant food more available, 

 and afTords a congenial and comfortable place in 

 which the plant may grow." 



Between the young fruit trees potatoes or other 

 root crops, as well as almost any kind of vegetables, 

 may be grown with advantage as well as profit, and 

 these crops may be continued every year for a few 

 years, but for a few years only. As soon as the trees 

 begin to send out their roots to any distance, and the 

 foliage begins to shade the land, the practice of 

 growing supplementary crops between the rows of 

 fruit trees must be discontinued. Grasses and grains 

 should on no account be grown between the fruit 

 trees, even in the very youngest stages of the 

 orchard's life. 



Young fruit trees will not require to be pruned 

 until at least one year after planting. But from that 

 time onwards they will need to be pruned every 



