18 BULLETIN 636, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The soil in the orchards of the valley apparently has not yet been 

 depleted by clean cultivation, as has the soil of certain other regions. 

 The growers seem to realize that humus is necessary for the soil and 

 have applied considerable manure, thus lessening the necessity of 

 returning humus to the soil in other ways. If this mulch cropping 

 were practiced with a view to aiding the orchard and handled accord- 

 ingly, the results no doubt would be different, but many of the larger 

 and older orchards are down in mulch crop which has been there 

 many years and is practically sod. 



A few orchardists turn under their mulch crops from time to time, 

 and one of the most successful orchardists in the valley alternates 

 the mulch-crop and clean-cultural system every year. To a great 

 extent the grower himself can determine from the health and vigor 

 of his own orchard which type of soil management he should follow, 

 and a combination of both systems would seem to be best as far as 

 the orchard itself is concerned, but perhaps not the most profitable 

 when the pasture and hay value of the crop on the orchard is taken 

 into consideration. 



CULTIVATION. 



All the orchards in the valley have at least a small annual charge 

 for cultivation. The least charge appears on those orchards which 

 are in bluegrass for permanent pasture, in which case only occasional 

 rills for irrigating are made, or sometimes the orchard may be disked, 

 or harrowed with the spring tooth. (See Table VII.) 



In regard to plowing, it was found that 12 (nearly 32 per cent) 

 practice it, plowing on an average of 1.38 acres a day. The cost 

 is $3.61 per acre for those who plow. (See Table VII.) Considering 

 all orchards under both kinds of management, the acre charge for 

 plowing is $0.85, and the box cost SO. 0025. 



Twenty-two (nearly 58 per cent) of the orchardists disk, the 7-foot 

 riding disk being used ordinarily. This disking is done usually in 

 the early spring and often prior to any other operation on the soil. 

 A comparatively small percentage of the growers use the spring- 

 tooth harrow. The spike-tooth harrow is used by 15 (nearly 40 

 per cent) of the orchardists. Various other implements are used 

 on a few orchards. 



Cultivation begins as a rule during the latter part of March or 

 shortly after. Plowing is often the first operation in the spring. 

 Some growers use either spring or spike tooth harrow for the first 

 operation and follow this with a disk in order to loosen up the soil. 

 Later in the spring, after the weeds have started, the disk may be 

 used again, either one or both ways, and then followed by the spike 

 or spring tooth harrow before the first irrigation. Other growers 

 may in addition use the cultivator once or twice. 



