The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1903-11-20


Orchard suhsolls.
Prof. p. w. Hilgard, Director ~ Tie
California Experiment station, * his
last annual report, says: sss Si3sss
Few persons outside Of the expert.
ment station can have an idea of the
extent to which the planting Of or
chards on shallow soils. underlaid ~
hardpan or heavy clays has caused %
cuniary loss. often almost ruin, to old.
timers as well as to newcomers to
the state. Every few days there cpme
to us at Berkeley letters transmit ting
samples Of tree.branches having the
"die-back." and asking about the
means Of relief. We might usefully
stereotype the first letter IN reply TO
such inquiries, briefly to the effect:
Examine your subsoilin In nine
cases out Of ten. It is either hardpan.
or an impervious clay substratum,
which defects the roots sideways after
the second or third year, and Of course
prevents healthy, normal develop
ment toward the moist depths Of the
soil. where abundant plant-food awaits
them in all good orchard lands. More
rarely it is q layer Of coarse sand. or
gravel, which prevents the rise 81
moisture from below sometimes It -
the rise Of the bottom water, which
causes disease Of the deeper roots,
and also starves the tree. Almost In.
variably the question Is asked: What
fertilizer must apply to remedy the
trouble?" Well, in most cases no fer.
tilizer Of any kind will remedy the
difficulty: the existence OF which
should have been ascertained before
planting the orchard, or better, be-
fore buying the land at oil. Even
in the East and in Europe. careful
farmers scrutinize the subsoil before
investing. In the arid region this is
tenfold more needful, because Of the
critical Importance Of the subsoil,
overshadowing that of the surface soil,
as already explained. The irrigator
who pays SO dearly for his water Is
doubly interested in It, and ought al
ways to know how long 1t takes water
to soak to . certain depth in his land,
80 as to be sure that 1t does not run
of the surface Of natural or artificial
hardpan, and flow to the neighbor be-
low. instead of soaking down.
This seems to be such elementary
common sense that it is difhcult to I'm.
derstand how It is 30 widely neglected,
despite the warnings SO emphatically
conveyed by experience, and published
by the experiment station for twenty
years past. No farmer should be with.
out that simple and cheap, though
murderous-look ing implement, the soil
prod, which Is SO readily used. It is q
steel rod three-sixteenths to one-fourth
inch square, we'll pointed at one end,
and provided at the other with q stout
ring for q wooden cross-handle, Ike q
common aNgax ,sss1 sangth from fesars g
7 hve feet, preferably the latter; cost
-sevanty=fiye cents. This is forced into
the ground with slight turning mo
ton back and forth, hanging to It II
first II one is Of low stature. The
farmer will be surprised at the new
information conveyed by this simple
process within the two or three min
utes 1t takes to make one sounding;
and II any doubt remains at some
point, the common posthole auger may
be made to supplement the prod. But
with little experience, the prod alone
will suffice to tell the farmer, by the
change In resistance, even how deel
the irrigation water has penetrated IN
his land. And in many cases such
information will astound him by Its
unexpectedness and make him under
stand why certain trees in his orchard
have done 80 poorly, or so well.
However important is the presence
of the plant-food ingredients In thu
soil, the fundamentally needful poin,
is the proper physical condition, with
out which no amount of fertilization
or natural productiveness, is Of any
avail. All understand the need o.
moisture; but unless care is taken t.
see that 1t gets where it will do the
most good. and that the roots can per
form their functions In the depths Of
the soil, water, work, and fertilizers
may alike be wasted.
Water and Transplanted Trees.
| The above subject has been dis
cussed at good many horticulture
meetings and always develops DIFF
ference Of opinion. The old methoi
| Of putting in water when dorman
4, tree was put into the ground Is still
quite extensively followed, but certain
II has no value except Il be to pacl
the dirt more tightly about the roots
"A dormant tree cannot certainly US
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