The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-03-13

| HiOlSLuIc caU reach II FAcepb through
the roots, and when it is grown to the
proper stage it is taken and weighed
! and then every particle Of moisture dried
out Of il, and il is weighed again, the
difference in the weight being the weight
of water taken up through its roots.
, Unknown-Wo not it be a good
plan to cultivate early in the spring
cultivate deep--say, FIVE or six inches
and get it as fine as possible and after
that cultivate only about two inches
deep on top of this soil? Would it not
conserve the moisture better than just to
cultivate the top?
Prof. Knisely--No, | would not culti-
yate deep to bring up the moist soil on
top, asit would have the effect to hasten
the evaporation of the moisture in the
soil.
F. w. Angus-What kind OF tool do
you like best for orchard cultivation?
Prot Knisely-I do not know. Every
one has his favorite tool. used to like
the light harrow and then the Planet
Junior. But if you use tool like the
smoothing harrow it is not to dig up
the big weeds but Just to keep the
ground stirred. suppose every one
here has tool he thinks is better than
any other.
II. I. Williams saw tool in Texas
that was about as nearly perfect as any
| know Of. II was home made affair.
The owner took beam something like
a pillow beam and bent saw blade down
and out SO that it would skin the surface
and leave 1t soft and kill the weeds.
DIR. Withycombe-W have machine
like harrow with cutters, three on a
side, and they run two inches deep. 1t
does not turn over the soil but just cuts
the top
+. w. Angus-Something similar to
the Acme harrow?
DIR. Withycombe Yes, something
like it think.
i. w. Angus-The Acme harrow is in
tended to lift the soil on the surface, but
not to turn it.
DR.. Withycombe Yes, something
like that think found it left our
orchard in fine condition.
Prof. Knisely-That reaches out fur
ther than where the horses walk2
DR.. Withycombe-Yes, sir,
E. l.. SMITH find nothing so salts
factory as the springtooth harrow with
the rake attachment. | cultivate deep
in the spring, but after that not more
than two inches deep.
Prof. Knisely-How often do you cul-
! tivate?
Z. l.. Smith--Ten times.
Prof. Knisely-All summer?
E. L. Smith-Yes, sir, and there is
never a time that you cannot reach
moisture with your foot.
Prof. Knisely--There is one thing-if
you practice surface irrigation the little
feeding rootlets are going toward the
water, if you irrigate, these little rootlets
will come to the surface for that water,
while if you give this surface cultiva-
tion and do not irrigate, they swiA go
to the moisture and better withstand
the dry season. %E
E. l.. Smith The apple rootsahere
always follow the pillow ON the hard
ground beneath the soil you turn over in
plowing.
T. r. Coon-It seems to me that the
amount of rainfall cuts but little figure
as to the moisture condition in summer.
If we should get 35 feet of rainfall it
would all run of and the amount Of
moisture would be the same in the sum-
mer. | think there is considerable de-
pending upon the way we cultivate as to
how much water we get. | think we
can cultivate all the time | think we
find greater variety of soils here than in
any other place l have ever seen. When
YOU hear Mr.. Chandler talk, the soil is
like that in the red hill couatry; when
Mr. Sears talks it is heavy clay soil,
and it is good fine soil | am inter-
ested in this cultivation question find
my orchard is pretty full Of roots.
can't pillow it. The deeper cultivation
ought to be in the spring, | have no
doubt. How about rolling2
Prof. Knisely-I would say rolling de-
pends upon the condition OF the soil at
the time. saw field at one time
greatly improved by rolling, and I saw
the same field at another time greatly
injured by rolling. Ii it is rolled just at
the right time it will break up the little
Jumps and be very beneficial.
DIR. Withycombe--I think Mr.. Coon
is laboring under wrong impression.
You must meet the conditions that sur
round you. You must cultivate to meet
those conditions. The conditions here
are the same, if your land is solid and
compact, you must break it up by the
subsoil plow or alfalfa or clover, and
your loose, porous soil you must use the
roller to compact the land. We had
some land so filled with humus it was so
loose it was not capable OF holding moist
ure. We advised pastoring it in order
to compact the soil and put it in condi-
ton to hold moisture So the farmer
must use the cultivator to meet the
condition OF the soil. THE principle is
the same in all places.
T. r. Coon--I don't know as to that, l
know the conditions are not the same.
notice one farmer work early and late,
and all the time and cultivate about as
good as ii could be done and never make
success of it, while his neighbor right
beside him hustles in his crops, gets in
buggy and goes off fishing, never is so
painstaking as his less successful neigh
| Dor, yet his efforts seem almost always
to meet with abundant success.
| DIR. Withycombe-You must use both
brain and muscle. You know as we'll
as do that You can go out in the valley
/ SdNt lDuT llllSS anu uAu u NtOASH ulllCISub
kinds of soil The fact remains, you
must study the conditions OF the soils in
order to adopt that me ethod of cultiva-
ton which will bring to you the highest
degree of success.
Here DR.. Withycombe launched out
in an enthusiastic and eloquent disser-
tation on the Importance OF a scientific
technical training for the farmer of the
future, which was clearly, forcibiy and
logically delivered, carrying conviction
to all who heard him, that the farmer
more than all others requires an edu-
cation of high order so as to enable
him to successfully meet the varying
intrieacies of moisture, soil conditions,
cultivation, plant growth, helps and
hindranees, animate and inanimate that
he has to deal with in some measure
every day of his life. He said the old
regime, under which the bright, quick
witted boys were given the best educa-
ton and placed in the law offices, the
banks or the ministry, while just plain
| John, who only knew enough to pail the
COW and plow hay was left at home
! 10 drudge ON the farm. was beinO