The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1906-06-02
ORCHARD CULTIVATION.


hAu.s WTlt61 luz lutOtmatiO0 concern
ing the setting out Of fruit trsss. He
will set out some trees about . hs3e.
mile from home and wishes to know 4 /
he can mulch them with stable
manure 30 a. to avoid cultivation. He
intended to do this until he saw an
article BY the writer on cherry grow.
ing. asserting that mulching caused
the roots to grow too close to the top
Of the ground. He wants to know Il !.
apple. pear and apricot trees will oe]
affected the same way.
The position that roots take in u
soil whether near the surface or
deeper down depends to . considers
atlo extent on the rsgion. says the
Prairie Farmer. Under shallow cul.A
tivation the oxygen Of the air pene-
trates the sell. Oxygenation sets fre4
latent plant food. at Just the p,.a
In the soil where air and moisture
come together to the best degree,
there the feeding roots are more free
~ developed. A heavy mulch of straw
shuts the air out OF the soil, brings
moisture to the surface and develops 4
feeding root.ets ON the surface. This~
happens when We mulch with straw
to the depth Of IL to 20 inches. II
1t was fine rtraw and pretty well com.
pacted lesser depth would produce
the same result.
Under such conditi1ns the writer
has seen tree roots as large As your
nnger on the surface OF the ground.
As long a. the heavy mulch was kepS
up NO harm resulted from this surfasH
roofing. When hoxeve. the strawy
litter rots away exposing this root
system. then the tree suffers. Where
the soil can BE- cultivated once . week
or oftener II crusted by rainfall. then
a soil mulch Is the best OF all be-
cause aeration OF the soil and the de-
velopment Of latent plant food can 90
forward while conserving moisture.
mulch Of two or three inches Of
stable litter loose upon the surface
would not be likely to bring the root
system to the surface In one season..
An occasional working ct the disk
or cultivator running through this
mulch would combine the best fea-
lures Of both methods.
As the trees get larger with q spread
OF branches OF six to eight feet or
more II becomes more difacult to cul.
tivate close to the trunk Of the tree.
We have secured excellent results By
mulching the row Of fruit trees to the
width Of six TO eight feet from end
to end ons way and keep u remain.
Ing portion Of the orchard open with
pillow. disk. harrow or cuitivator. We
have had most excellent results In or. A.,
chards with this method. The mulch.
ing OF stable litter conserved some
degree OF moisture. increased the fer.
tility Of the soil and kept the weeds
down ON tho ground that couYd Tot
Be easily reached with pillow or cult.
vator. Our most successful cherry or.
chard was handled In this manner.
We would very much prefer to use
stable litter for this combined pur.
pose Of mulching and culture than to
use straw. To . certain extent bright.
fresh straw rejects the sun against
the trunk Of the tree and l: inches
Of straw 10 no more effective than two
or three inches Of stable litter.
In further answer TO your core.
spondeut. We susssst that vhsss the
trees are planted . half mile from
homo and apt to b sssisctsd. would
use the eombinsd method Of narrow
mulehins and cultivation.