TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



35 



But the immense loss constantly occasioned by the lack of it, urges 

 its being preached in season and out of season. I can not enforce the 

 importance of this modern practice better than by an object lesson we 

 now have at Riverside. Our citrus orchards for the most part are 

 small and generally managed by the owners. There is one large excep- 

 tion. A dozen years ago a trust company developed several thousand 

 acres. A considerable portion of the now bearing orchards on this tract 

 is yet owned and managed by the company. The ordinary methods of 

 cultivation were followed until something over a year ago, when Mr. 

 James Mills, an enterprising orchardist of long experience, was induced 

 to take charge of this department, with large discretionary power. His 

 first and most radical change was to deep tillage. Instead of cultivating 

 3 or 4 inches deep as had been done, he insisted on a depth of from 6 to 

 8 inches. The result on that great stretch of orchard is simply wonderful. 



Of course this marked improvement can not all go to the credit of 

 deep cultivation. It was made possible by deep winter plowing and 

 other important improvements introduced. But without the specially 

 deep, regular, thorough cultivation, all else could not have brought 

 about the radical change now seen in the orchards. It is true that Mr. 

 Mills and other managers of large holdings have the advantage over us, 

 who work only our own small orchards. They can command the tools 

 best adapted to the work, and power to handle them. Mr. Mills is 

 now using a simple implement, consisting of a heavy 6 by 6 wooden 

 beam 8 feet long, to which is attached fifteen heavy shanks with narrow 

 shovels, properly hung behind a simple running gear. This is put 

 down from 6 to 8 inches, making a heavy draught for four large horses. 

 It is not so easy to accomplish the same kind of work with our lighter 

 teams and lighter implements, but it can be done. It costs more, very 

 much more, than the old way, but if the additional cost of from $5 to 

 $10 per acre secures an additional income of from $25 to $50, then the 

 additional expense is true economy. 



There is one other modern practice which I think is not fully appre- 

 ciated: the fining of the surface, especially of our heavier soils, and 

 keeping it constantly loose by frequent stirring. This is our best means, 

 not only of holding the moisture in the root bed, but also of preventing 

 the hardening of the layer immediately above the roots. A simple 

 practice which has come into quite general use in our valley, is to attach 

 a bar of iron, a heavy chain, or a piece of hardwood behind the culti- 

 vator, properly hung and of sufficient weight to crush the moist clods 

 turned up by the shovels. A slight impact pulverizes the fresh lumps, 

 which a few hours of sun would turn into hard clods. The simple 

 device also levels the surface, reducing evaporation. The frequent use 

 of the fine-tooth harrow is coming more and more into use to help make 

 and keep the important fine surface blanket of soil. 



