The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-11-16
Grns. VS.. CuIlivation for orchards,

luo pIdCUlCO VI pCl lhieVihS ehO Siooo
to grow and form sod on the surface
of the ground devoted to orcharding is
advocated by some quite intelligent
writers; while others, equally as intel
ligent and of long experience, oppose
it, and maintain that in order to have
good, fair, and well-grown fruit, it is
necessary to keep the surface of the
ground loose and free from any exhaust
ing crop. Both are undoubtedly cor
rect, in part, for we have seen orchards
that while yearly cultivated produced
fine and perfect fruit, but as soon, or
within three years of after being left in
grass, the fruit became knotty and i'm
perfect; and again after cultivation
produced fair and perfect crops. Again
we have seen old orchards in many
States that have had no cultivation for
years, and yet produce crops of fair and
handsome fruit. We know cherry trees
that have had nothing but turf beneath
their branches for many years, and yet
their fruit is annually fair and good.
And, again, we know of cherry trees
that were kept cultivated ten or more
years, and then gave yearly beautiful
fruit, but afterwards neglected and left
in turf, the grass not even moved; since
then they have not for several years
produced fruit equal to former seasons
| or up to the same grown on trees OF like
| varieties we'll cultivated not half mile
distant. "One swallow does not make
a summer nor does one mans success
in growing a crop in certain manner
entail any certainty that that is the
best way That deep cultivation, with
a plow going near to the bodies OF the
trees and breaking the roots yearly
around the crown, and six to eight
inches deep, occasions injury and may
be counted as bad practice, we have
no doubt; but that young or bearing
orchard Is the better for being let alone
and the grass permitted to grow, rather
than have the soil annually stirred and
kept loose, free to the action of air,
heat, and moisture at depth of three
to four inches, we do not yet believe.
There is undoubtedly n medium desir-
able; too deep and too frequent stirring
of the soil or too late in the season
would unquestionably be detrimental;
but If q young OF bearing orchard has
the surface soil to . depth of three in
ches well cultivated in all the growing
portion of the year, we have not doubt
| that nine times out of ten it would pre-
sent more healthy appearance, and
give better fruit than one left in sod,
even if all the grass be left to decay
upon the spot where it grew. Certain
deep rich soils there undoubtedly are
which have in them superabundant
food for vigorous and rapid growth of
trees planted therein for many years;
but these are the exception rather than
the rule in ali our best fruit-growing
sections Locations of this sort on the
prairies, and in rich valley bottoms, are
to be found; but they are not generally
counted as most to be valued for fruit
growing; and to prepare orchard ground
by first thorough deep trenching and
enrichng, if thought necessary to sue
cess, would check progress in orchard
| ing to an extent that where now there
are hundreds, there would not be ten
acres planted yearly. We are decidedly
in favor of progress, and if we could
believe that neglect would grow young
orchards and produce equally good
fruit as judcious, careful, intelligent
cultivation, we should advocate it most
heartily, on account of laber-saving,
which is heavy item in the way of
getting an orchard into, and keeping
it in, healthy, vigorous condition; but
at present we are not sufficiently ad-
vanced to do other than advise every
owner of q young orchard to keep the
surface of the ground stirred annually
in the early part of the summer to a
depth of three or four inches, repeating
the stirring up to August, as often as
the ground appears hard or packed by
heavy rains; and especially do we ad-
wise all owners of young orchards to
keep all grass or litter from around the
bodies of or near to the trees during the
winter season because of probable dep
relations from mice that may harbor
therein, and in time of heavy SHOWS OBJ
tain their food from the bark of the
young trees.-Horticulturist