Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-07-31
Orchard Cultivation.

OrcnarQ SuN1VatIOus
If cause Of partial or entire frult
failure is sought, after the orchardist
has fulfilled his part, it may confident
ly be expected to result from one or
two interfering conditions. Either
the fruit buds or growing fruit have
been injured by untimely frost, or suf'
ficient moisture has been lacking at
some time during the growing season.
Loss or damage from the latter cause
is now quite as common here is the
east as in the arid or semi-arid frult-
growing districts of the far west.
There they have become fully con-
vinced that no fruit need be expected
without an adequate and continuous
supply of moisture, either by conserV-
ing that falling during the wet season
or artifcially supplied, or by both
methods combined. Here it Will De
presupposed that the orchardist has
faithfully done his part in fertilizing,
pruning, insect protection and, If need
exist, in draining, and at June lst has
fair setting of fruit. Up to that
time, in the east and the middle west,
there is but little liability of drouth.
It is the period from that date TIL
harvest that is most critical for the
fruit-grower and which annually keeps
the statisticians guessing as to the
outcome.
Ripe fruit contains IS to 80 percent
of water. When we consider this fact,
in relation to another, that the leaves
of a tree are constantly exhaling
moisture into the air at the rate or
hundreds of tons to each acre of large
and thrifty fruit trees throughout the
summer season, it becomes at once
apparent how necessary it Is that no
moisture in orchard or vineyard
should 60 to waste. 1t also becomes
plain why fruit often drops in crop
running quantities even when
drouth is of but short duration when
sufficient cultivation has not been
given to conserve the moisture. The
tree will obey the law of self-preser'
vation by sacrificing its fruit rather
than its life.
Where special attention has not
been given to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
by cultivation, it is not generally un'
derstood how absolute a protection
against evaporation of soil moisture
is afforded by a dust mulch. A con-
vincing and practical illustration OF
it's efficacy was witnessed last season
| in a garden potato patch, which, after
deep blowing and thorough prepara'
tory tillage, was given conscientious
stirring and cultivation from once to
three times weekly. The desideratum
being to allow no crust to form favor
able to moisture. dispersion, this was
continued throughout the growth OF.
the crop. Although the season was
unusually dry, and the soil such as to
be easily affected by drouth, the pota-
toes yielded a magnificent crop, both
in size and quality. At all times dur
ing the period named moist earth
could be found within two or three
inches of the surface, while half
dozen feet away, on either side, where
no cultivation was practiced, the soil
was destitute of moisture for at least
1S inches below the surface.
Later in the season the same fact
was emphasized when the writer had
an opportunity to witness orchard cul-
tivation in the far west. notably in
California There were observed
tree-breaking crops of splendid fruit
just adjoining others of the same age,
variety, and otherwise equally as well
cared for except in the cultivation
given, the latter showing only partial
crops of inferior, shriveled fruit, all
the way down to absolute crop fail
ures in all cases corresponding close
ly to the cultivation and artificial
moisture supplied. The best results
were evident in that climate Of con-
slant sunshine and moisture-less at
mosphere, where dust mulch Of five
or six inches was provided. 1t was
there also made evident that those de-
pending n irrigation, without muchre-
Sdlu W WClS OltSA uO pCI-
ter off than the orchards unirrigated.
The uninterrupted supply of moisture
is an absolute necessity for the best
fruit results. Just as soon as the sup
ply fails. the fruit begins premature
.ripening which is fatal to it's perfect
future development. even should its
stem remain impaired from the par
ent tree.
The point I would especially empha-
size is that no one with an orchard
of bearing age, which at its best IS
capable of realizing It's owner, in east
or west, from $50 to 500 per acre,
net. when properly handled. can af-
ford to convert the moisture rightly
belonging to the fruit into grass or
other crops, or what Is equally bad
for the fruit, allow the moisture to
escape into the air through the me-
dunn Of a hard. uncultivated soil
crust.-B. F. w. Thorpe, in the Coun-
try Gentleman.