AVOIDING INJURY IN CULTIVATION 



149 



because of the liability to collection of water at certain points and 

 the subsequent breaking away and washing. Recently some of 

 of the foot-hill growers have adopted the plan of plowing furrows 

 seven or eight feet apart straight down the hill in the direction of 

 its deepest descent. The rainfall is thus distributed over the 

 ground so that not much water is collected in any one place and 

 the harm done by washing will not amount to much. Hillside 

 work differs according to character of soil and of local rainfall and 

 conference with experienced men in the region will usually afford 

 the beginner the best suggestions of method. In some localities, 

 the plowing of a few furrows at intervals to assist in penetration 

 and the growth of a cover crop during the winter to assist in bind- 

 ing the soil, will be found better than any attempt at the early 

 plowing, which may work admirably on level lands. 



The Best Plow. For plowing orchards and vineyards many 

 kinds of plows are used, including the ordinary one and two-horse 

 walking plows, single and double sulky or riding plows, and gang 

 plows of different kinds. Recently disk plows and harrows have 

 become very popular. In several of the leading fruit districts 

 there are plows made in the local shops which are patterned to 

 meet the different soils prevailing. Which is the best plow is 

 a question which can not be answered, it must be determined by 

 local conditions, and the best way to get information is to consult 

 the experienced cultivators of the locality. 



Avoiding Injury to Trees and Vines. The great problem is to 

 use the plow so as not to injure the trees and vines. Injury to 

 the roots is one ground on which those who advocate the banish- 

 ment of the plow from orchard and vineyard base their opposition, 

 as will appear more fully presently. It is the usual practice to 

 run the plow shallower when approaching the stem of the tree or 

 vine, and this is easily done when using a riding plow or a two- 

 horse walking plow between the rows and finishing up near the 

 trees with a single-horse walking plow, which is a common practice. 

 The injury by the plow, to which especial reference is now made, 

 is that to the bark of the tree or to the vine stump. 



Makers of the special orchard and vineyard plows have recently 

 made them adjustable so that the plow will work either side of the 

 central line of draft, and these improved tools have rendered obso- 

 lete the early contrivances for accomplishing the result with com- 

 mon field plows. 



Flat Hames and a Spreader. Among the worst things for use 

 among trees are the pointed iron names which are found on most 

 harnesses. They often seriously bark the branches under which 

 the horse passes, and should be dispensed with. An arrangement 

 widely used consists in having broad leather tugs and hames with 



