158 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
furrow to be thrown towards the. tree each spring, 
particularly if the land is in good tilth; but it is al- 
ways advisable, upon fairly level ground, to plow the 
orchard in opposite directions in alternate years. 
Land which is so wet that it needs to be thrown 
permanently into ridges for drainage 
is not often adapted to fruit. 
The difficulty of working close to 
the trees has had the effect of en- 
couraging too high pruning. There 
is a tendency to start tops too high 
rather than too low, thereby exposing 
great length of trunk to injuries of 
sun and wind, and elevating the top 
beyond the reach of pickers and of 
sprays. For most trees the ideal 
length of trunk is under five feet 
rather than above it, and implements 
now in the market allow of this 
lower training. Trees which have 
low tops, or which hang low with 
fruit, can be reached by separating 
the halves of any of the double 
Fig. 1s. Set-over barrows by means of a long dou- 
beam vineyard plow. bletree, so that the halves, when ad- 
3 justed, run from four to six feet 
from each other. A eut-away harrow rigged in 
this manner will work away the back-furrows from 
under the trees during the season. All cultivators or 
harrows with high handles, wheels or levers should 
be discarded if orchards are worked when the limbs 
