164 



FIG CULTURE 



increase their consumption of plant food while the 

 natural supply gradually diminishes as tops spread 

 and roots occupy more and more layers of surface 

 soil. The cost of seed is inconsequential, compared 

 with tilling fields every ten days when cultivated 

 clean, and it is probable that methods will gradually 

 be perfected for use in connection with mulching, 

 materially reducing field expenses. Fig trees ordi- 

 narily require such constant tillage to obtain profit- 

 able crops that treatment lessening such work with- 

 out impairing results will greatly stimluate the in- 

 dustry. Mulching liberates plant food in the soil 

 as readily as by clean cultivation, being less ex- 

 pensive, and supplies large quantities of organic 

 matter ; and can be satisfactorily restored with cov- 

 er crops as it decomposes. 



Although cover cropping for soil improvement 

 was practiced in Ohio as early as 1879, probably the 

 first methodical tests were made about twenty years 

 ago among apple orchards of Central New York. 

 Since that time it has been used wherever fruit 

 growing has received careful study, having found 

 favor for the following reasons :• (1) Soil is reno- 

 vated by growing some other plant than it usually 

 produces; (2) it furnishes humus most economical- 

 ly; (3) if legumes are used soil nitrogen is in- 

 creased; (4) the ground becomes friable and more 

 comfortable for root growth. Other reasons could 

 be stated until the list would be a long one, but 

 with these four general results in mind different ad- 



