Cultivation of the Orchard 165 



can be passed successfully. By that time it is difficult to 

 cultivate among laden trees. Furthermore, cover-crops 

 are usually sown in July and August and as early as June. 

 The various soil management systems are summed up 

 in Table X. 



IMPLEMENTS (PLATE ix) 



Various tools are employed by the successful apple- 

 grower. For plowing, a twelve- to fourteen-inch plow, 

 either single or with two or more bottoms, is a necessary 

 part of orchard equipment. For stony land the spade disc 

 is popular, although the cutaway is more generally used. 

 For late cultivation, various tools are employed. Spike 

 and spring-tooth harrows, drags and weeders of various 

 description are commonly utilized. In the West a light 

 spring-tooth harrow is very popular. The latter is an 

 excellent tool, stirs the soil well, and has many advantages. 

 Clod-mashers, drags or harrows may be equally effective 

 in pulverizing the soil. Special care and precaution 

 should be taken in working among trees to prevent injury. 



THE TRACTOR IN THE APPLE ORCHARD 



While the tractor has grown rapidly in popularity, use- 

 fulness and value for general farm operations during the 

 past decade, there is probably no other type of farming 

 for which it has proved more universally satisfactory and 

 profitable than for commercial fruit-growing when the 

 acreage is of sufficient size to warrant the investment. 

 There seems no question but that the tractor will event- 

 ually be used in nearly all of the large orchards and in 

 fact is being used in a great many to-day. In comparing 

 the efficiency of the tractor with horse labor, the tractor 

 has the following advantages: 



