COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING IN WEST VIRGINIA. 9 



cultivate. Clean cultivation on the more level and smooth lands 

 requires that they be gone over with horse implements six to eight 

 times, and they should have a cover crop during the winter. 



USE OF FERTILIZERS. 



It is common practice in this section to use commercial fertilizer/ 

 especially on the red soils and other soils derived from shale and sand- 

 stone rock. Most of the orchards located on the chert lands have not 

 been treated with fertilizers, as the soil is rich and holds moisture 

 well. Fertilizer on the thinner soils is applied at the rate of about 

 250 to 500 pounds to the acre. 



Fertilizers may be applied economically at a cost of about $6.25 

 per acre for the best grades. An easy method of application is to use 

 an 8-foot drill. 



In order to reduce the operating expenses, many growers use com- 

 mercial fertilizers sparingly, but this practice is not recommended by 

 the best orchardists, because of its importance as a factor in yields, 

 and the fertility of the poorer soils should be increased if a profitable 

 apple orchard is expected to follow the peaches. Mixtures commonly 

 used are the 4-8-5 and 4-8-11 formulas. 2 



PRUNING. 



Pruning is done in the winter and early spring when the weather is 

 favorable, generally in March and April. The number of trees that 

 a man may be expected to prune in a day varies, of course, with the 

 size and character of the tree as well as the expertness of the man. 

 Under average conditions, however, 1,000 one-year-old trees per day 

 should be pruned by one man, 500 two years old, 200 three years old, 

 and 125 four years old. Peach trees are not allowed to develop large 

 heads, so that after the trees are four years old one man may be 

 expected to prune about 100 trees per day. These same data would 

 apply to apple trees up to 6 or 7 years of age. 



SPRAYINGS 



The spraying outfit on the more level, smooth lands consists of a 

 tank, a 3 or 3 \ horsepower gasoline engine, and other fixtures mounted 

 on a truck and hauled by a 2-horse team. The number of trees an 

 outfit and crew may be expected to spray in a day will vary, of course, 

 with the size of the trees, the character of the land on which the spray- 



1 The fertilizer need of the soil for peaches is a very important factor in orchard management and such 

 needs are different in different places. The West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station is conducting 

 experiments on various soil types to determine the fertilizer needs. 



2 The figures in these formulas refer, respectively, to the percentages of ammonia, phosphoric acid, and 

 potash in the fertilizers. 



3 Only such details of spraying are given as are necessary to determine the quantity, cost, and time of 

 applying the material. There are bulletins which give valuable and detailed information on spraying, 

 among them being- Farmers' Bulletin 440. 



9680°— 13 2 



