18 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1912. 



had been considerable farming for a number of years. From this section 

 of the valley the planting of trees has been carried to the more level 

 slopes of the Underwood loam, and it is in these sections that the 

 most extensive development is now being carried. The setting out of 

 commercial orchards began less than 10 years ago, and at the present 

 time not more than 5 per cent of the trees are in bearing. 



In planting, the trees are set in the square, triangular, or hexagonal 

 systems. Following the square system they are commonly set 26 

 feet apart. Budded one or two year old stock is invariably used, 

 and the trees are secured either from local nurserymen or from firms 

 or individuals conducting nurseries in the Northwest. Pruning is 

 done each year at any time after the wood is completely dormant, 

 and during the first years of the tree's growth the cuttmg is such that 

 the tree is held within narrow bounds, in order to facilitate future cul- 

 tural and picking operations and to build up a sturdy frame that will 

 carry a heavy load of fruit with minimum damage to the branches. 

 Summer pruning is seldom practiced. 



In the past there has been a great diversity in the methods of 

 handling the orchards, but although a considerable variation still 

 exists, the growers are generally beginning to use similar methods 

 which experience has shown to be well adapted to the soil and climatic 

 conditions of the region, and to the varieties of fruit most largely 

 grown. With many of the growers the spring treatment of the 

 orchards formerly was to run over the ground with a disk harrow, 

 and to follow this with a harrow or drag. While a few still use this 

 method, the larger number now give the orchard a thorough spring 

 plowing and follow this with successive harrowings until the surface 

 mulch is fine, loose, and deep. In a veiy large number of the younger 

 orchards, and in some of the older ones, some crop is grown between 

 the rows of the trees during some part of the year. Crops are seldom 

 grown in the older orchards, but it is the common practice to grow a 

 gram or forage crop during the whiter. In nearly all cases this is 

 turned under in the spring plowing. In the younger orchards the 

 same practice is frequently followed, but in addition some forage or 

 tilled crop is grown between the trees durmg the summer season. In 

 the first case the crop is plowed under in the spring, and in the second 

 the returns from the crops go toward meeting the expense of running 

 the orchards. When done judiciously the growing of these crops 

 does not impair the growth of the trees. The danger lies in the temp- 

 tation to grow these crops after the time when the entire area of the 

 orchard should be used solely for the benefit of the trees. 



Considerable differences of opinion have existed in the past regard- 

 ing the use of winter cover crops. Although various ideas concerning 

 the best crop for this purpose and the methods of planting and handling 

 it, and although there is stiU much to be learned along these lines, it is 



