Practical Orcharding On Rough Lands. 1 73 



these effects, and is taking advantage of them 

 by the use of mulches, especially on steep, 

 shaly hills, where the humus is well nigh ex- 

 hausted, consequently the moisture is very hard 

 to retain. Today we hear mulching frequently 

 mentioned in connection with cultivation. So 

 we shall take up the various kinds of mulches 

 and consider them as they apply to orcharding 

 on rough lands. 



Dust Mulch. — ^There are many sections 

 where orchardists practice clean cultivation, 

 that is, they do not attempt to grow any cover 

 crop, depending entirely upon tillage, not only 

 to set free the plant food of the soil, but to 

 conserve the moisture as well. In order to ac- 

 complish this it is necessary that the surface 

 be kept finely pulverized or as we say, keep a 

 dust mulch. While this has been, and is a 

 successful method of management in level sec- 

 tions, it would not be practical on rolling lands, 

 unless the nature of the soil should be partic- 

 ularly adapted to such treatment. There are 

 some sections of mountains where the soil is 

 so filled with small stone so that the water 

 sinks as fast as it falls. Here the danger of 

 washing would not have to be considered. But 

 the practice of dust mulch without a cover 



