Practical Orcharding On Rough Lands, 157 



the conditions change with the sections, but we 

 may be able to find marked differences in the 

 nature of the needs, care and cultivation of the 

 orchards in the bounds of a single state or 

 even county. 



Care of the Orchard. — It has already been 

 said that care and cultivation should begin 

 when the tree is planted. We have had some- 

 thing to say of the purpose of cultivation. Now 

 the nature of the care shall claim our attention. 

 After the tree is in place, (see chapter on 

 Planting) and the hole well filled, the surface 

 should be levelled down. If on steep land it 

 may be well to leave the upper side a trifle 

 lower so as to catch as much water as possible. 

 The surface should be fined thoroughly for a 

 distance of three or four feet about the tree. 

 This space should be stirred frequently during 

 the first season, once a week would be a safe rule. 

 The purpose of this cultivation is to retain 

 the moisture as described previously. Again 

 let us remember that whenever the soil be- 

 comes dry it cracks, and through these little 

 cracks the moisture is constanty escaping. With- 

 out moisture there can be no growth, so this 

 cultivation is very important the first season, 

 as the tree has just been removed from the 

 nursery row where it has had intense cultiva- 



