JOUENAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



favouring the work of fungi and insects. Covering the surface of the 

 ground to protect it from drying, as is done in America, is wholly un- 

 necessary in our country. The great difiiculty is to keep orchards clean 

 in most seasons, except during some short periods of severe summer 

 drought. We have to make use of the energy of the sun as much as 

 possible, and to take advantage in every possible way of its benefits. 



Aeration of soil should be encouraged by various means. Drainage 

 is the first thing to be considered for the welfare of fruit trees. Our 

 orchards generally have excellent open drainage. Gutters run regularly 

 beneath the horizontal trellis of the pear orchards. On stiff, loamy 

 soil good results are obtained by planting trees on mounds or on ridges, 

 so as to secure good drainage and active aeration. Underground 

 drainage also answers well in this case. All these processes are im- 

 portant in regions with heavy soils, as in the south, and particularly 

 also in the cold regions of the north. 



Cultivation and Hoeing. 



These operations are done only by hand with small tools. Horse 

 power and large implements, such as are seen in Europe and America, 

 are never used in fruit plantations in this country. 



The frequent rain and hot summer increase the trouble of weeding, 

 and a large amount of labour is necessary to keep down the weeds in 

 summer, especially in the rainy season. Farmers, therefore, strive to 

 finish hoeing before the rainy season sets in. The cultivation of 

 orchards is also carried on by hand, our object being to loosen the 

 surface soil and assist in its aeration, rather than to lessen the evapora- 

 tion and prevent drought, for our frequent rains are very apt to harden 

 and bind together the surface soil, which is harmful to the well-being 

 of fruit trees. 



Manuring. 



The application of manures to fruit trees has been long neglected, 

 although manuring has been an important item in rice growing. Only 

 recently, with the rapid progress of our fruit industry, experts have 

 begun to pay attention to this subject, and are studying the effects of 

 different m.anures on the quality and yield of fruit. 



Chemical fertilizers have become familiar, and phosphates have 

 proved effective on some kinds of fruits, while other kinds of fertilizers ! 

 have not been much used. ; 



Night soil, stable manure, litter and trimmings from the roadsides | 

 or meadows were almost exclusively used. Until recently there have 1 

 been meadows reserved for the common use of each village. In some I 

 parts large quantities of weeds and undergrowth are spread thickly i 

 beneath the trees to serve as manure. The insufficiency of these j 

 manures has come to be acknowledged, and improvements are being | 

 introduced. Sea-weed is also often employed. 



The application of potash, lime, and other mineral fertilizers is of 

 great importance in this country, especially for fruit growing, but the 

 majority of our growers and farmers still seem to be ignorant of it. 



