The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-03-27

Should Orchards be Cultivated
This is evidently one of those
questions that admit of q variable
answer. In other words. a practice
which may he the best for one or
chard, may not be so for another.
because the conditions are far from
being uniform. To keep the ground
In an orchard constantly under cul-
tivation, and producing crops which
are removed annually, viii soon ex-
haust the fertility of the richest soil,
unless some kind of. fertilizer is re-
turned to make good the amount ia
ken away. The frequent stirring of
the soil. breaking up. disintcgrating
and pulverizing, are beneficial opcr-
ations. for. by keeping the surface
open and loose. we aid the admission
of air and moisture, both of which
contain certain elements which are
absorbed by the roots and go far
towards making up the bulk of all
cultivated plants. But, as a rule,
orchardists do not think that they
can afford to pillow, harrow and keep
down noxious weeds for no other
purpose than to benefit the trees and
improve the quantity and quality of
the fruit; consequently. when they
pillow, it must be for the purpose of
sowing or planting. and the orchard
is kept constantly occupied with
some annual farm crop, or seeded
down to clover or grass. To sow
grain of any kind in an orchard, ex-
ccpt ON very moist soils, or in a hui
mid climate, seldom fails to check
the growth of trees, because the
growing grain will take the moist
ure from the soil at the very time
the trees need it most. Crops that
are grown in hills or drills, like po-
tatoes, beans and peas, are less in
furious, and in some instances they
have proved to be quite beneficial,
not only because in their cultivation
the soil was frequently stirred, adj
hitting air and moisture. but an adj
ditienal benefit was secured in the
destruction of weeds and insects. 1t
may be assumed that the constant
occupancy of the land in young or
chards with some kind of farm crop
requiring cultivation in summer,
will prove beneficial to the trees,
provided as much manure is added
with each crop as is removed by the
same. Furthermore, during the cul-
tivation of the crop, the trees should
not be overlooked, but given the
same treatment, that is, all grass
and weeds removed from about the
stems. 1t may seem to be unneces-
sary to refer to this matter, but it is
not at all rare to see orchards plant
ed with corn and potatoes, and while
these crops are given the greatest
care and not weed is to be seen in
the rows. still. the trunks of nearly
every one of the trees will be left
surrounded with tall grass all sum
mer, when few blows of the hoe
would have removed it. The owner
of the orchard would no doubt value
his apple trees much higher than a
hill of potatoes or corn, but at the
same time he bestowed less care upon
them.
There is, however, one serious OBJ
lection to the constant cultivation of
orchards, at least when the trees
have attained a large size, and that
is, the danger of breaking and dis
turbing the roots in blowing. As
the roots spread out to some distance
from the stem, they usually come
nearer the surface than while the
trees arc young, as the richest soil
is at this point, and the roots will
go where they can find nutriment in
the most available form.
Old and bearing orchards are often
seriously injured by deep blowing,
and great care is necessary in break
ing up old sod in an orchard, to pre-
vent disturbing the roots of the
trees. If roots are broken, the trees
will be checked in their growth in
proportion to the number destroyed.
New roots may spring out from the
made on the old ones, pro-
vided the latter have not been
brought to the surface and left ex-
posed by the pillow. Not year
passes, but many old orchards are
severely injured or even destroyed
through careless or injudicious cul-
tivation; while probably an equal
are restored to health and
productiveness by careful system
of renovation of the soil.
The treatment of orchards should
be as variable as the conditions UNI
der which the trees are grown. In
some soils and climates. it may be
perfectly safe and even advisable, to
seed down an orchard while the
trees are quite young, while in 9TH
ers, frequent, if not constant cultiva-
ton, is necessary to insure modcr-
ate success. One should always use
Judgment.