Surface Tillage 95 



In general, level culture is best. This is secured by- 

 plowing one year to the trees and the following year 

 away from them; one year north and south, and the next 

 year east and west. It is somewhat difficult to plow away 

 from large trees, however, and with the cultivators or 

 harrows now in use, it is easy to work the soil away, 

 allowing the furrow to be thrown toward the tree each 

 spring, particularly if the land is in good tilth; but it is 

 always advisable, on fairly level ground, to plow the 

 orchard in opposite directions in alternate years. Land 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 encouraging too high pruning. There is a tendency 

 to start tops too high rather than too low, thereby expos- 

 ing 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 

 5 feet rather than above it, and tillage implements now in 

 the market allow of this lower training. Trees with low 

 tops, or that hang low with fruit, can be reached by sepa- 

 rating the halves of any of the double harrows by means 

 of a long doubletree, so that the halves, when adjusted, 

 run 3 to 5 feet from each other. A cutaway harrow rigged 

 in this way will work 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 bend low with fruit. 

 An implement of the grape-hoe type may be used with 

 advantage in some cases to loosen the earth about the 

 trees. A single-horse plow, with a set-over beam (as in 

 Fig. 19), is also most excellent for plowing close to 

 trees and bushes. The objection to medium-low heads 



