Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-03-18
ORCHARD LANDS.
fhe Selection and Care Of Soils Fer
Fruit Growing.


fhe Selection and Care Of Soils Fer
Fruit Growing.
BY CHARLES MBURKETT. Kansas,
before the State horticultural society.
1t is impossible for us to lay down
any fixed and set rules that shall gov
ern the selection of soil for orchard
lands. We may call one type an ideal
soil, but what we want more than an
ideal type is a farm orchard for every
farm. It would be folly to say that
We want ideal conditions Of soil for
every orchard or garden. What we
want are an orchard and garden on
every farm, and we want to take the
soils and so treat them that they will
respond In the highest degree to profit
and pleasure.
Thers4Are Different Ways.
\One Of the first requisites in the
management of orchard soils, garden
or, in fact any agricultural soils Is
thorough tillage. OF course there are
different ways to till the land. This
statement does not mean that we are
to turn the plowshare loose In the soil.
1t does not mean that we shall pillow
or till at the wrong season Of the year
It does not mean that we shall give
the sandy soils the same treatment
that we give clay soils. But it means
that we 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
cereal crop If our soils contain too
much nitrogen. In fact, some &C our
trees do not bear because they are too
abundantly supplied with heterogeneous
food in the soil.
There is principle acknowledged In
all our plant and animal life. When
we treat an animal or plant too well,
sterility and lack of prolifcacy often
follow. II is also true with our trees.
Crops May Help.
Selling crops may help some lands,
but the difficulty in growing solling
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, 1t seems to me. Is
to get plenty of water In order to take
care of the tree during its spring and
summer activity. In fact, one thing
that has been brought most prominent |
ly before us In the last five years has |
been the realization of the value and
r1oonino nf nf fha fl n 90
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
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 an abundance of water In
Kansas to produce remuneratlve crops |
Of all kinds If it Is taken care of. 1t
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 q 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 1t, and once In the
soil maintain 1t 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 II we kick up
stone or even the dry dirt on the road
side we find 1t moist because the dir
or stone acted as a mulch and kept the
water from escaping.