The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-03-13
ORCHARD LANDS.
The Selection and Care Of Soils For
Emit Grouino.


Ry CHARLES M'BERKETT. Kansas
before the State horticultural society.
1t is impossible for us to lay dow
any fixed aud set rules that shall gov
ern the selection Of Il soil for orchart
lands. We may call One type an idea
soil, but what we want more than III
ideal type is Il farm orchard for ever!
farm. 1t would be folly to say tha'
we want ideal conditions of soil FOL
every, orchard or garden. What w
want are an orchard and garden OF
every farm. and we want to take the
soils and so treat them that they will
respond in the highest degree to prof
and pleasure.
There Are Different Ways.
One Of the first requisites in che
management of orchard soils. garden
or. in fact, any agricultural soils is
thorough tillage. or course there are
different ways to till the land. This
statement does not mean that we ARK
to turn the p%lowshare loose in the soil
1t does not mean that we shall pillow
or till at the wrong season Of the year
1t does not meal that we shall give
the sandy soils the same treatment
that we give clay soils. But it means
that W. must study orchard lands our
selves, to give just the treatment that
secures the greatest response. We can
disk our orchards If we fear to plow
them. We can grow rye or other
cereal crop if our soils contain toe
much nitrogen. In fact, some Of our
trees do not bear because they are toe
abundantly supplied with heterogeneous
food in the soil.
There is a principle acknowledged in
all Il plant and animal life. When
we treat an animal or plant too well,
sterility and lack of prolificacy often
follow. 1t is also true with our trees.
Crops May Help.
Selling crops may help some lands
but the difficulty in growing soiling
crops is that they take great quantities
of food and water out Of the soil. That
is the great difficulty Of such methods
What we are after, it seems to me. is
to get plenty of water in order to take
care Of the tree during it's spring and
summer activity. In fact, II thing
that has been brought most prominent
ly before us in the last five years has
been the realization Of the value and
meaning of water. One of the things
that have been brought out is that all
soils contain great quantities of plant
food. but plants cannot get at this
plant food because Of the physical
condition of the soils. To help in the
work we must control the water sup,
ply. 1t has been estimated, and l have
no doubt that right around through
this section there is often not more
than so per cent Of the water which
falls as rain that gets into the soil.
There is al abundance Of water in
Kansas to produce remunerative crops
Of all kinds if it is taken care Of. II
takes four inches of water to produce
eight bushels of wheat. 1t takes nine
inches Of water to produce sixteen
bushels OF wheat. 1t takes fifteen
inches Of water to produce thirty bush.
els Of wheat. We have an abundance
of water, therefore, in our section If
properly conserved.
1t takes a great deal Of water for
the production Of orchard crops be-
cause the trees are pumping out Of the
soil great quantities Of water all the
time. Open up the soil and let the wa
ter move into it, and once in the
soil maintain it there. A farmer said
that he allowed the weeds to grow up
and then moved them down and made
a thorough mulch over the soil. That
mulch acted in the way to do the most
good. 1t kept the water in the soil.
We know when we pass along the
road or elsewhere If we kick up a
stone or even the dry dirt on the road
side we find it moist because the dirt
or stone acted as a mulch and kept the
water from escaping.