Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-05-07

/ an orchard, and then sit down and
wait for the trees To bear VIII never
make success of fruit growlhs-
You must cultivate a fashion OF sit
ting ON the cultiyator. Thorough cul-
tiyation Is absolutely necessary from
the first year OF planting for three
reasons: TO conserve the moisture
that is In the ground; to loosen the
soil so the roots can assimilate the
plaut food therein and 10 destroy
weeds and insects-the pests oil eV-
cry orchard.
While there is some dispute as TO
whether it pays to make such a point
of clean culture, yet 1t is very con
yinciug fact that the big crops OF
clean salabe fruit, especially apples,
come from the well-cultivated or
chards on the Western slope and it
is worth something In satisfaction IL
not in dollars ami cents, TO be able
10 look through "A row of trees and
not see weed in ii. For You can
depend ON ii that the man who neg
lects weeds in his orchard is neglect
ing a great many other details That
20 TO make successful fruit growing.
By the time the crop OF fruit is of
in the fall the ground has been
trampled down by the pickers, their
teams and wagons. 1t is then time
for the fall irrigatlon-after that it
is too late and the ground TOO wet
for any cultivation, so it goes
through the winter in this packed
condition, a period of rest.
In the spring. as soon as the ground
is dry enough, begin your cultivation.
We, on the mesa, mostly use a top
notch cultlvator: disc or spring
tooth harrow are good-anything that
will stir up the ground for three OF
four inches We begin by going
| diagonally to the irrigating rows, as
| the shovels seem to take hold better
| going this way tne first time; then
| go diagonally in the opposite direc
| zion; then go across the irrigating
| furrows over the entire orchard, and
| the last time cultivate In the direc'
ton the irrigating rows run. Your
| EIOuIu 10 uON Mtli oAli th hH anu IL
good shape for the sun and rain tc
work on, and the trees will get down
| to business. Mark OF irrigating fur
| rows. and get the water out OF tne
way in time for the first spraying
which is usually about the 10Th OF
May
The flock of hungry birds that fol
low your cultivator win prove tnat d
great many of the insects that have
wiutered through in the hard ground
are being gobbled up.
After the spraying is over and the
ground has begun to pack again put
the Pinch shoyels on the cultlvator
because they are large enough IL
take out any weeds that may have
started. and to 90 over the whole or
cnard again four times. as described
before.
This leaves a fine dust mulch three
or four inches deep that keeps the
ground below it cool and moist,
Although the top soil looks dry ant
parched, by digging down three oil
four inches you will find it moist
Whereas, If the ground is left to bake
and crack open the moisture anc
plant food evaporate, starving the
roots.
The more hot and dry the summer
the more need of keeping the cult
vator going. After this second cult
vation you will find square arounc
| ri tra that ha oh
been able to reach. Put the mar
with the hoe to work on that Those
weeds narbor insects, rob the tree o.
its food and detract from the clean
liness of the whole orchard In the
bearing orchard one will have to qui
cultivation about Aug. 18th, becaus,
the trees are hanging down witt
fruit and one cannot get a team
through. You will find hard crus
forms ander the ground just below
the cultivator shovels In the Eas
this crust is called "plow sole" Tc
break up this sole or crust plow the
orchard every other year with a stir
ring plow. Some roots will he cut
but the value of this deep cultivation
cannot be overestimated. You car
prove 1t to yourself by plowing OF
one side of row and leaving the
other side unplowed. You will fine
that it takes four times as much wa
ter to run through a furrow on the
plowed side as on the other side
showing that it sinks deep into the
ground and will cause the tree to
send Its roots deep into the earth fol
food and drink. Cultivate this way
through good and bad years and your
trees will be deep-rooted, hardy and
productive.
CONCENTRATES