Planting and Care of the Pecan Orchard 121 



it should be borne in mind that a considerable portion of the 

 feeding roots are within a few inches of the surface, and that 

 they should not be destroyed by deep plowing. The lateral 

 or feeding roots take in both the moisture and food for the 

 development of the trees. In good soil these lateral roots 

 usually spread to a much greater distance than the tops of 

 the trees. 



When the trees have developed so that cropping is no longer 

 advisable, which will be when they are able to utilize all the 

 available space, the soil should be broken from four to five 

 inches deep each year in the dormant season, and only shallow 

 cultivation practiced during the growing period. The land 

 should be broken to about the same depth each year so as not 

 to disturb the roots unnecessarily. Shallow breaking one year 

 followed by deep plowing the next may result in serious injury 

 to the trees. After the first plowing the disc harrow should 

 be run over the land to break down the rough clods. Some 

 light harrow, such as a spike-tooth or acme, should then be 

 used regularly every ten to fourteen days, in order to keep 

 up a dust mulch, until about the first of September. 



It is unwise to turn orchards into sod when they come into 

 bearing, regardless of the character of the soil. The pecan 

 orchard, as it carries its fruit through the dry hot summer 

 months and matures it generally during a protracted drought 

 in late fall, should receive more constant and thorough culti- 

 vation than any other orchard crop. 



