Iron County register., 1881-02-24
cultivation Of Orchards.

GultiYation OF Orchards.
THE report of Prof. Beal, Of the de-
partment of horticulture and botany In
Michigan Agricult College, contains
q large amount of interesting, practical
matter. For several years he has been
carrying on careful experiments in the
culture of orchards, SO as to arrive at, If
possible, the best plan. His expert
| ments include nearly every reasonable
| mode Of culture and non-culture. He
reports for the past season on this SUBJ
jact as follows:
Experiments were begun on the
| '.pple orchard, in 1878, by cultivating
the ground about some of the trees,
| leaving others in grass, and in applying
barnyard manure and ashes. Most of
these have been continued to the present
| time, but full results have not yet been
reached in all cases. So far, tilling the
land has given the best success in the
| healthfulness and bearing of the trees.
Small circles cultivated about the trees
were no better than those wholly in
grass, for the obvious reason that most
! of the roots extended beyond those cir
cles. On the other hand, and for the
same reason, circle of grass out nearly
as far as the extension Of the limbs did
little or no harm to 15-year trees where
the ground beyond them was cultivated.
Trees OF that age wholly in grass grow
slower, produce less fruit, of smaller
size and poorer quality than those well
cultivated. Thinning the apple crop
when the fruit is quite small has been
| IL
These experiments, when completed,
will be of great value, and experiments
of the same kind should be systemati-
cally carried on by all the State agricul-
tura colleges, and then all collected and
averaged BY the results. In such lines
of experiments our colleges of this kind
can be of immense benefit, and fulfil
the designs of those who instigated
them. One point in these orchard cul-
ture experiments we wish to call espec-
ial attention to, to wit: 'sSmall circles
cultivated about the trees were no bet
ter than those wholly in. grass, for the
obvious reason that most of the feed-
ing) roots extended beyond these circles.
! On the other hand, and for the same rea-
son, circle of grass out nearly as far as
the extension of the limbs, did little or
no harm to trees fifteen years planted,
where the ground beyond them was Gull
tivated."
These quotations cover mistakes
made by very many: for instance, how
often do we see men of good intelligence
recommend the placing, ''the piling up, !"
of manure or other fertilizers around
the stems of trees long planted, when
reason should teach any one that there
were no feeding roots within twelve to
twenty feet of such manure! and also
digging and tilling Immediately around
the stem of an old tree, and calling it
cultivating them. As well might they
place brick-ba at the base of the tree,
so far as such work could be of any
benefit to the tree. Of course the rains
will leach out the manure and some of
it may reach the feeding roots. But it
is very much better to apply culture and
manure where it is certain to have some
immediate effect, namely, under ex-
tremities of the branches; and beyond
this is where the active feeding roots are
found.
Our plan for cultivating bearing or
chard-and we ask for none better, only
that we want better tool than the COM
mon plow to stir the soil with is to
plow the ground between the rows one
way, not trying to plow very near the
stem of the trees, about the first of May
with common turning pillow, then in
ten days harrow thoroughly, then in ten
days again, and then about the tenth of
June plow the orchard the other way,
then harrow three times as before. This
plan we adopted after great deal of
study and experiment: We reasoned in
this way: if we should plow the orchard
both ways, turning all the ground posi-
BILE, we would destroy so many roots as
to give the orchard a severe check, but
by piowing it between the rows only one
way at time we leave at least half the
roots undisturbed, and the trees are not
many roots we plowed up between the
trees one way; we knew the undisturbed
roots would hold the trees in thrift until
the broken roots could put forth new
feeding roots in the fresh, mellow, ,plowed
land. This kind of culture is adapted
to high, dry, rather poor mll lard; on
richer and more moist soil it would have
to be modified to suit, for so long as an
orchard of bearing trees is making a
growth of from six to fifteen inches
yearly it has vigor enough. There can
be no general plan for the culture of
orchards given, for the culture of each
orchard must be according to its soil
and requirements. The cultivation nee
essary on thin, dry soil would cause
an orchard on richer. moister soil to
run all to wood, with little or no fruit.
Rich, level, or prairie soils should be
treated very differently from thin, dry
hill soils; when planted in orchard they
should generally be laid down in grass,
| and the thrift of the trees kept up in part
by cutting back and thinning out the
outer branches, and by surface manur-
ing, and eventually by blowing narrow
strips between the rows.-Prairie Far
| 1aer.
AN extensive orchardist speaks of the
necessity of watching apple trees, and
| whenever the heads become dense thin
them out. Dwarf pears need more prun-
ing than any other tree; indeed the tops
/ must be constantly cut back to keep the