32 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



be run on all the land, and that no low places are left with- 

 out outlets for waste water. A little care in leveling will 

 save one much labor and inconvenience in watering; in 

 one case the water will only require setting, and in the 

 other constant attention. The expense attached to start- 

 ing the young orchard is heavy, and there is a temptation 

 to set the trees and do the leveling at leisure times after- 

 ward; but such a course cannot be commended, and often 

 means disappointment. The man who makes a success of 

 growing the young orchard is the one who has too much 

 pride to allow himself to slight the work in any way at the 

 outset. 



Plowing 



Fall-plowing is in many ways desirable for the pro- 

 posed orchard site. The soil is exposed to the action of 

 the weather, which not only improves its texture but 

 liberates plant-food. Fall-plowed land settles well be- 

 fore spring, and waters easily, while spring-plowed land 

 is often irrigated the first time with difficulty. The 

 water spreads too rapidly in the spring-plowed land, and 

 this is especially objectionable with the heavier soils, 

 as it tends to run the particles together, resulting in 

 puddling and subsequent baking. When it is proposed 

 to plant crops between the trees, fall-plowing provides 

 a much better seed bed than spring-plowing. 



Fall-plowing is objectionable, however, in sections fre- 

 quented by heavy spring winds, as the finely pulverized 

 surface soil blows easily. Yet this difficulty can be 

 largely overcome by an early spring discing. 



Land that has been plowed in late winter or early spring 

 should be well worked down with the disc and harrow 



