CULTIVATION 



121 



prevent the knives from striking the trees and allow much closer 

 work around them. The blades are concaved on the upper side 

 and straight on the lower, and have a peculiar turn which is of 

 advantage to the working of the machine. In using the cultivator 

 the driver stands in the center of the draftboard over the knives, 

 and guides it by stepping to the left or the right, as the occasion 

 requires. If anything adheres to or gathers on the knives, the 

 driver steps forward on the draftboard and tilts the handle 

 forward, thus raising the knives and freeing them of litter. 



Other harrows are being used in various sections with success. 

 In some places one-horse cultivators are used in cooperation with 

 the harrows, especially near 

 the trees. These cultiva- 

 tors are so well known that 

 it is not necessary to men- 

 tion them in detail. 



Method and time of cul- 

 tivation. As a rule the 

 same general system of 

 cultivation is followed 

 throughout the country. 

 Plowing usually takes 

 place early in the spring, 

 the orchardist waiting only 

 until his soil is in condition. After the plowing, some of the 

 coarser-working harrows are used, such as the disk or the spring- 

 tooth. If good work is to be done, these machines are lapped half 

 their width each time they are drawn across the plot. Sometimes 

 the harrows are drawn first in the direction of the furrows, and 

 then across the furrows. The smoothing type of harrow follows 

 quickly, and the soil is further fined and a mulch of loose earth 

 established. This mulch is maintained, until the cover crop is 

 sown in August, by frequent cultivations, especially following each 

 rain, and if no rain occurs, once in ten days or two weeks. 



The young orchard. Cultivation in the young orchard may be 

 different from that among the older trees. Plow deeply and near 

 the young trees, in order to force the roots to go deeper. Culti- 

 vate close to the trees so as to prevent weed robbery. Sometimes 



FlG. 53. The Kimball cultivator 



A machine broad enough to work up close to the 



trees without bringing the horses into the zone 



where injury to limbs may result 



