118 
Sod Method of Reducing 
It is never advisable to plant orchard 
trees in fresh sod. In preparing sod 
land, it is best to plow in mid-summer 
and cross-plow it again in the fall, leav- 
ing it in the rough through the winter. 
Fall plowing is advantageous in any case, 
as it helps to destroy many insect pests 
such as cutworms and also insures a 
thorough pulverizing of the soil. Harly 
in the spring the ground should be disked 
and harrowed until it is mellow. It is 
also advisable to go over it again with the 
harrow just before planting to destroy 
any weeds that have started. Many or- 
chardists follow the plan of plowing the 
ground in long narrow lands, back-fur- 
rowing just the width desired for a tree 
row and leaving the dead furrow where 
the line of trees is to run. After the 
trees are set the ground is again back- 
furrowed, this time throwing the dirt 
towards the trees. The general experi- 
ence of the older orchard sections is in 
favor of the level system. 
A. T. Erwin, 
G. R. Briss, 
Ames, Iowa. 
Deep preparation of orchard land a 
year or two previous to setting trees is 
highly desirable. Wet places should be 
drained and perhaps limed. Poorer soils 
should also be well fertilized and have 
the manures worked deeply into the soil. 
Special attention must be given to thin 
places. Such preparation favors a vigor- 
ous start and a deep running root sys- 
tem. 
ERNEST WALKER, 
Fayetteville, Ark. 
Time to Prepare 
The autumn months are regarded as 
the best time to prepare all lands that 
are to be planted to apple orchards. This 
exposes the land to the ameliorating ef- 
fects of frosts, allowing such soil to catch 
and hold the rainfall of winter, and per- 
mits the subsoil to become sufficiently 
settled to re-establish capillary action be- 
tween it and the lower soil strata while 
still keeping the soil in loose condition 
for the deep penetration of the roots. If 
the autumn preparation is thoroughly 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
done, the stirring of the surface 1s aj 
that will be needed in the spring. 
J. R. SHINN, 
Moscow, Idaho. 
Preparatory Cropping 
The thorough preparation of the lang 
should be regarded as a very important 
element in planting an orchard. An ap. 
ple orchard is very different in its re. 
quirements from an annual crop; yet how 
frequently does it occur that the land for 
it receives even less attention than does 
the land for corn or wheat? Many pros- 
pective orchardists propound as their first 
question, “How are we going to rid the 
land of sagebrush or stumps for setting 
our trees?” They think when this mat. 
ter has received attention that trees may 
be set at once. While it is true that 
some lands may be turned over and plant- 
ed immediately, yet most experienced 
growers and observers regard the prac. 
tice as of doubtful value. The wiser 
plan is to anticipate planting two or three 
years in advance and devote this time to 
growing a rotation of crops which will 
bring the soil into the best state of cul- 
tivation. After the roots of the trees 
have taken possession of the soil, deep 
plowing can not be done; and as this is 
essential the soil should be plowed 
deeply before planting. For arid lands 
in sagebrush sections the need of organic 
matter in the soil is apparent to the cas- 
ual observer, and no crops act so bene- 
ficially in increasing this organic matter 
as alfalfa or clover. After clearing new 
lands alfalfa or clover may be sown, 
which should be allowed to remain one or 
two seasons, after which it is turned 
under. By virtue of their extensive root 
systems, better crops than these are not 
known for breaking up soils underlaid 
with stiff clay. Where soils are suffici- 
ently supplied with organic matter there 
is less need for the above practice. New 
ground, however rich, needs to be sub- 
dued before trees are set upon it. Such 
lands are apt to be full of inequalities; 
hence every effort should be made to dis- 
cover and remedy the poor spots that need 
manuring and the wet spots that need 
drainage, so that the trees when planted 
