THE CARE OF EOEEST PLANTATIONS. 11 



The planting of hold crops between rows of young trees on the 

 plains is unwise; the trees need all the available moisture. Corn is 

 especially harmful, because the roots spread both down and out from 

 5 to 8 feet and take much more soil moisture than the young trees. 

 If any crop is planted, it should be a short-lived one of the garden 

 kind, whose roots do not spread far and are soon gone. 



TOOLS— METHODS OF CULTIVATION. 



The plow has no place among trees, other than to prepare the 

 ground for planting. The plantation is often neglected until the 

 weeds have formed a dense growth 3 or 4 feet high, and then the 

 ground between the rows is plowed. The plow leaves the ground 

 rough, a condition which greatly increases the loss of soil moisture 

 through evaporation. Dead furrows are formed between the rows 

 or the earth is thrown away from the bases of the trees and. many 

 roots are cut, which does great injury to the trees. 



The best implements for the cultivation of the ground are the 

 pulverizing harrow, the disk harrow, the dagger-tooth harrow, and 

 the five-tooth cultivator. The pulverizing harrow is an excellent 

 tool for shallow tillage, and, when used frequently enough, is all 

 that is necessary. Where the weeds are large an ordinary cultivator 

 may be put in or a shallow disking given, but to give the best surface 

 conditions the disk should be set rather slanting or be followed by 

 a harrow. A single section of a dagger-tooth harrow, drawn by one 

 horse, may be used advantageously between the rows of trees. The 

 five-tooth, one-horse cultivator requires the least space of any of the 

 tools mentioned and can be used when the rows are close together or 

 after the trees have grown so as to fill most of the soace between the 

 rows. 



Care should always be taken that the stems of the trees are not 

 injured in any way. There should be no projecting parts about the 

 cultivator or the harness, but if such parts are unavoidable they 

 should, be wrapped with pieces of old sacks. 



GRAZING FIRE. 



Grazing animals should be rigorously excluded from all tree plan- 

 tations until growth is well advanced. Even if the trees are too 

 large to be broken off by the stock, every branch within reach will 

 be browsed, and the desirable forest conditions of shade, under- 

 growth, and litter will be destroyed. In a well-established grove 

 stock may do little harm, but until the crowns of the trees are entirely 



