The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-02-12
Grass In Orchards.


question of "grass or no grass'' has
been vigorously discussed by orchard
lists, seemingly without much progress
toward decision. That many orchards
have remained healthy and productive
in land that has been kept seeded down
as meadows and pastures no one will
pretend to deny; but whether it would
be best to adopt this system generally
would be, to say the least, very doubt
full. A system of cultivation and nom
cultivation Of trees which works well
in one climate and soil, bringing as
good results as the orchardists could
wish, may not answer at all under diff
ferent circumstances. Consequently,
there must be variation in manage
ment to meet varying conditions.
Every farmer knows that the soil gets
dry much sooner under sod than where
the land is kept under cultivation and
is stirred often during the summer
months. For this reason, if for no
other, some kind of hoed or cultivated
crop is generally recommended as most
suitable for young orchards, and in
some soils and localities it is not ad-
visable to 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
the trees, undertaking would GER
tainly be the best way to remedy the
evil; but seeding down to grass might
answer, and we may say does answer
in many good fruit-growing regions,
for there are very few farmers who have
ever attempted to underdrain land pre-
x<>v ~1ov ~. thA
apple trees have become well established
that is five to ten years planted
the general practice is to seed the land
dewn and use it as a meadow, and this
plan has worked well in most of the
Northern States, where the soil is q
deep, rich and moist clay; but in light
soils this system will seldom answer,
as the trees do not get sufficient moist
ure in summer to keep up a vigorous
growth, the grass over their roots tax
ing the greater part of that which falls
during the spring and summer rains.
much the worse, for it requires a very
heavy and long-continued shower to
soak through a tough sward, the greater
part of the water passing off on the sur
face to the lower lands adjacent. Keep
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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 plow, If there is any
danger of scarcity of moisture at the
roots during the growing season.
Another point which we fear some
orchardists have overlooked is that in
sects are far more troublesome to
orchards kept in grass than those con-
stantly cultivated. This is especially
true with the common apple-tree borer,
which is naturally very shy and seems
to have a liking for trees the stems of
which are surrounded with grass or
weeds. OF course, it is not advisable
to plow deep enough in orchards to dis
turb or break many roots; but where
the land is kept constantly under culti-
vation 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 plowman 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 soils
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
Weekly San.