ORCHARD CARE 143 



culture and plowing of the land alternately. It must 

 be one thing or the other. The feeding roots of 

 trees have a tendency to creep toward the surface 

 of the ground, and these are seriously injured when 

 the ground is plowed after a year or two of sod. 

 Under conditions of annual plowing, on the other 

 hand, when cover crops are used the feeding roots 

 of trees remain safely deep down out of the way of 

 harm. 



Fertilizers for old and young nut trees belong in 

 the class with fertilizers for other fruit trees. The 

 same rules apply to both so closely that little need 

 be said beyond impressing the point that nitrogen, 

 potash and phosphorus in sufficient quantities are 

 essential for the growth and bearing of nut trees as 

 of other fruit trees. Where the soil is deficient in 

 any one of these substances information may be ob- 

 tained from the nearest State Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station or Agricultural College in regard to 

 the best way for balancing the ration of the trees 

 in that particular locality. Authorities at such insti- 

 tutions who stand ready to give free advice at any 

 time say that the people do not as yet know how to 

 make use of their opportunities for getting infor- 

 mation. 



Nut trees for the most part require very little 

 pruning, yet there is always something to be done 

 with cutting out superfluous branches, dead sticks, 

 or unsymmetrical limbs. Mr. Jones gave me a saw 

 which he uses for nut tree work and said that I 

 would find it a handy one to use on Sunday morn- 



