Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-06-15
ORCHARD CULTIVATION.
The Practice Of Manure Mulchino
Compared with Other Methods
Of Treatment.

z. e.. Spreading, Graham county,
Kan, writes for information concern
ing the setting out of fruit trees Ho
will set out some trees about . halls
mile from home and wishes to know y
he CON mulch them with stable
manure SO as 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 E We to the top
of the ground. He Y " " know =
apple, pear and apri tal os
affected the same way ~
The position that roo nsA5'
soil whether near the WufHS9e~ or
deeper down depends to a consider
able extent on the rsgion, says the
Prairie Farmer. Under shallow cub
tivation the oxygen Of the air penes
trates the soil. Oxygenation sets free
latent plant food. at just the point
in the soil where air and moisture
come together to the best degree.
there the feeding roots are more free
ly developed. A heavy mulch of straw
shuts the air out of the soil, brings
moisture to the surface and develops
feeding rootlets on the surface. This
happens when we mulch with straw
to the depth of IL to 20 inches. r.
1t was fine straw and pretty we'll COM
pacted lesser depth would produce
the same result.
Under such conditions the writer
has seen tree roots as large as your
nnger on the surface of the ground.
AS long as the heavy mulch was kept
up no harm resulted from this surface
roofing. When however the strawy
litter rots away exposing this root
system, then the tree suffers. Where
the soil can be cultivated once a week
or oftener If crusted by rainfall, then
SOIL mulch Is the best of all be-
cause aeration of the soil and the de-
veiopment of latent plant food can go
forward while conserving moisture.
A 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 of the disk
or cultivator running through this
mulch would combine the best fea-
lures of both methods.
AS the trees get larger with spread
or branches of six to eight feet or
more 1t becomes more difficult to cul.
tiYate 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 erd
to end one way and keep the remain.
Ing portion of the orchard OPEN with
plow, disk, harrow or cultivator We
have had most excellent results in or
chards with this method. The mulch4
ing OF stable litter conserved some
degree of moisture, increased the fer.
tility of the soil and kept the weeds
down on the ground that could not
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 reflects the sun against
the trunk of the tree and IL inches
of straw is no more effective than two
or three inches of stable litter
In further answer to your CORE.
spondent, we suggest that where the
trees are planted a half mile from
home and apt to be neglected. would
use the combined method of harrow
mulching and cultivation.
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