The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-07-16
Grass IN Orchards.

For the last quarter Of a century the
question of grass or no grass" has been
vigorously discussed by orchardists.
seemingly without much progress to-
wards the decision. That many orch.
ards have remained healthy and pro-
ductive in land that has been kept
seeded down as meadows and pastures
no one will preterd TO deny: but
whether it would be best to adopt this
system generally would be, to say the
least. very doubtful. A system of
cultivation or non-cultivation of trees,
which works well III one climate and
soil. bringing as good results as the
orchardists could wish, may not answer
at all under different circumstances.
Consequently there must be vari.
alton In management to meet verying
conditions. Every farmer knows that
the soil gets dry much sooner under
Sod than where the land is kept under
cultivation, and is sturred often during
the summer months. For this reason,
if for no other. some kind Of hoed or
cultivated crop is generally recommended
as the most suitable for young orch
ards. and In some soils and localities it
is not advisable 10 seed down land
among fruit trees at any time; for
when this is done, growth both Of tree
and fruit ceases.
If the soil is naturally too moist to
insure a healthy, vigorous growth of .he
trees, under draining would certainly
be tac best way to remedy the evil; but
seeding down to grass might answer,
and we may say does answer in many
good ruit-growing regions; for there
are few farmers who have ever at
tempted to underdrain land previous to
planting it with trees. After apple
trees have become well established
that is, five to ten years planted-the
general practice is to seed the land
down and use it as mellow, and this
plan has worked we'll in most of the
Northern States where the soil is deep.
rich, moist clay but in light soil this
system will seldom answer, as the
trees do not get sufficient moisture
in summer to keep up a vigorous
growth, the grass over their roots
taking the greatest part of that which
falls during the spring and summer
rains. If the land has an uneven sur
face, so much the worse, for II requires
a very heavy and long-continued
shower to soak through tough sward,
the greater part of the water passing
off on the surface TO the lower lands
adjacent. Keeping a space about the
stem OF the trees dug up, and clear of
grass and weeds. may in part remedy
the evil still there is nothing like
keeping the entire surface under the
plough. if there is any danger of
scarcity of moisture at the roots dur
ing the growing season.
Another point which We fear some
orchardists have overlooked Is. that
insects are far more troublesome to
orchards kept in grass than those con-
stantly cultivated. This is especi-
ally true with the common apple tree
borer. which is naturally very shy, and
seems to have liking for trees the
stems of which are surrounded with
grass and weeds. Ofcourse, it is not ad
vIsa5le to plough deep enough in orch
ards to disturb or break many roots;
but where the land is kept constantly
under cultivation, the roots do not
usually grow as near the surface as
when the soil is not disturbed so that
there is little danger of injury if the
ploughman is moderately careful in his
work.
To sum up this matter of cultivation
or no cultivation of orchards, we would
say that in heavy moist soils seeding
the land down is admissible, and often
advisable, as it saves the farmer much
trouble and expense but in light soil,
and where droughts are likely to occur.
it is not and the man who attempts to
keep his trees in sod will sooner or
later find that he has made a mistake.