AND* U. M. EXPERIMENT STATION. 2$ 



ground up, and the remaining grass and weed roots were thus mostly- 

 killed. The fall plowing left the land in the best condition for absorb- 

 ing and holding moisture. In the spring the land was well harrowed 

 and was planted with oats. This crop is a far better one for prevent- 

 ing weed growth than wheat. As soon as the oats could be harvested 

 the ground was plowed about eight inches deep, and was again left until 

 late in the fall, when the final plowing for the trees was done. 



Deep plowing is necessary for successful tree growing. The land 

 should be plowed eleven or twelve inches deep at the east. I am aware 

 that there is a prevalent idea that new land in Dakota cannot be plowed 

 so deep, but if the plan above outlined, or one similar to it, is followed, 

 the field can be plowed twelve inches deep the second autumn. The 

 work requires three horses, and I have always used a fourteen- inch 

 walking plow. The furrows should be narrow and straight; the plow 

 should go as deep as three horses can pull it, and the work should be 

 done in the fall of the year. The frosts of winter will aid very mate- 

 rially in pulverizing the plowed land. During the early spring the 

 melting snow will be retained in the field, instead of running off, as it 

 would if the ground were unplowed and hard. The tree-grower should 

 lose no opportunity, however slight, to save to his soil the water that 

 falls on it as rain or snow. As early in the spring as the land can be 

 worked it should be thoroughly harrowed and pulverized. I have found 

 the Acme pulverizer a most useful implement in fining the soil for trees. 

 A final harrowing, going diagonally across the plat, will better prepare 

 it for the marker. 



In planting, the points to be observed are: see that the roots are 

 kept moist and are well placed and not turned up at the ends; plant a 

 little deeper than the tree stood before, and press the earth firm about' 

 the roots. The first and last points are of especial importance. 



The only cultivation that can be called good is that which keeps 

 the soil in the best possible condition. It is possible for land to be free 

 from weeds and yet not to be well cultivated. A harrow-tooth cultiva- 

 tor is best for use among young trees, because it does not go deep enough 

 to strike the fibrous roots, and leaves the soil very fine; but excellent 

 work can be done with a common corn cultivator, so set that it will not 

 go deeper than four inches. The kind of implement is of far less im- 

 portance than that it be kept going. During the entire season, from. 

 the time the trees are plan ted until August, the ground in the tree-claim, 

 should be a dust blanket so fine that the foot sinks into it. This will 

 require quite as much work as any crop that can be put in. And herein 

 is the great mistake of many settlers. They imagine, because trees- 



