Orchard Survey of Fremont County 
7 
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rious, and a considerable acreage of good fruit land is being ruined. The 
ocess of seepage is hastened by the drainage of the irrigation water from 
e higher land. Unless some action is taken, a considerable acreage nov 
^ orchard will be lost. The facilities for drainage are excellent; the faV 
sufficient to carry the surplus water, and the soil is naturally of a mor. 
■ less open texture. There is no hard-pan to obstruct the flow. The on) 
liason why seepage has not until recently become a menace, is due to tb 
)en texture of the soil and the slope of the land, but gradually the soil 
! easily puddled, due to the lack of vegetable matter and the heavy, frequent 
fegation, and when kept in a puddled condition interferes with the natural 
L'ow of the underground water. 
j* The drainage could easily and cheaply be solved by concerted action 
f the land-owners. On the mesa the soil drainage, with one or two local 
fxeptions, is excellent and seepage is not likely to cause any serious trouble. 
Air Drainage — Few fruit districts in the State can boast a better air 
fainage than this district. The Arkansas River, as it breaks thru the 
ffion, flows swiftly thru the upper valley and creates a constant current 
air which prevents the colder air from settling in the form of frost. The 
ope of the land on both sides of the river is sufficient to carry the colder 
Jr towards the river current to be carried off by it. While destructive 
osts have happened in the valley, it should be said that so far as failure 
crops from belated spring frost is concerned, it is as safe as any known 
.uit district. 
pENERAL CONDITION OF ORCHARDS IN FREMONT 
I COUNTY 
} No definite system of orchard management prevails, outside of a few 
[ mmercial orchards. Many of the older orchards are in permanent hay 
r pasture crops, such as alfalfa, clover, and bluegrass. Where alfalfa 
I’ld clovers are used, they are usually cut for hay. Orchards in bluegrass 
Je often used for pastures. In most of the smaller orchards the spaces 
i';tween the tree rows are planted to small fruits and vegetables. Few 
tchards are in clean cultivation. The general effect of these different 
J ethods of culture is not satisfactory for the best fruit production, since none 
1 these practices provide the necessary soil fertility and proper soil con- 
tions. No matter how fertile the soil may originally have been, the 
•ower cannot continue to take off one or more crops from the land each 
jar without sooner or later exhausting its fertility. The fact that the trees 
^e not bearing a crop of fruit is no indication that they are not using a 
msiderable amount of plant food for tree growth and for the development 
fruit buds. If, in addition to the food requirements of the trees, other 
‘■ops are grown in the orchard, the drain on the soil becomes correspond- 
ingly severe. 
* There is a widespread belief that alfalfa planted in an orchard and 
urvested for hay increases the fertility of the soil. This belief is based 
