The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-04

more horse per plow.
The family orchard l planted in
1886 and 81 did so we'll and gained
so much in moisture that In 1895 1
planted commercial orchard of O.
00o apples. plums and cherries. | am
still add'7T IN the original orchard.
Success With Orchard.
The fifth year from planting the
cherries aud plums had paid all the
expenses of trees and cultivation to
cate.
Since then | have cleared from So
500 to $4,000 including two bad years.
From six or seven year old cherry
tree | have repeatedly picked over a
crate OF cherries. worth about 50 In
the Denver market. The climate OF
Colorado is perfect for cherries, es-
pecially the Montmorency. but irri-
cation. or too much flood water will
XIII them. The cherries should be
planted on top of the slope, the plums
next and the apples near the bottom,
where they can absorb the run.off from
the trees above
When an orchard is well cultivated
the question of moisture needs no
further consideration Whatever, even
In the driest years. II the trees are
planted far enough apart, forty feet
for apples, twenty for plums and cher
ries and ten for small fruits, the
moisture increases year by year. which
soon renders 1t absolutely drouth-
proof
The land my orchard was planted
In was originally perfectly dry. down
to one hundred feot. After fallowing
for one year previous to planting, |
had gained four feet OF moisture, al.
ter twelve years cultivation there ey.
lists moisture In the subsoil as deep
as fifteen to twenty feet. Most Of the
moisture, also the roots OF the trees,
are In the top three feet, getting all
the time less moist with depth
BY simple trick of blowing the
dead burrows should be made identi
cal with the rows and the holes dug
In the fall to fill up with snow during
the winter BY turning up high back
burrows between the rows. when the
trees are small, immense snowdrifts
may be caught In every blizzard equal
TO several good irrigations. After the
trees attain their growth, the amount
OF snow that banks upon an orchard
Will often more than equal the whole
precipitation for the summer months
Any fruit that Is raised with irri.
cation can be raised equally well In
the dry orchard.
The Montmorency and Merella cher
ries, the atge plum. the Yellow Trans
parent apple, the Duchess. Red June
Rome Beauty. Jonathan. Stark's Dell
cious, Mcmahon White and Wealthy
! are my favor1tes.
The orchard should be cultivated
whenever heavy crust or cracks form
In the soil after rain. but not neces
CARLY after light showers.
Alfalfa Beet Dry Farm Crop.
| farmed 160 acres for three yeare
since then have added some 100 acres
to the original ranch and usually win
ter one hundred head of stock on dry
raised alfalfa. This crop Is ono of the
best for the dry farmer and supplies
large amount OF feed for little more
than the cutting,
This season has been the driest in
twenty-eight years and this winter
finds us with but foot Of snow all
over the pastures, but with plenty of
hay and grain to carry all our stock
through In good condition. thorough.
ly believe IN combination farming. a
farmer may just as we'll feed his own
produce and secure the profits as al
low some other man TO do It. But IL
is moro sensible in every way to get
your feed first they buy the stock.
Alfalfa Will grow almost anywhere,
the failures comes from shallow plow-
Ing, and planting other crops with Ii,
which OF course. use up the moisture
and kill 1t out. Ten pounds to the
acre Is sufficient April Is the best
month Harrow after cutting; disk
whom thoroughly esta abIished. Alfalfa.
fall rye, winter wheat and corn are
the best crops for the beginner. For
spring grain the land should always
be plowed deep and fallowed at least
from the fan until spring or longer.
Who're the precipitation falls below
ten inches, | believe In fallowing a
whole year. a proceeding which has
been adopted by the foremost dry
farmers OF Utah. In the matter OF
plowing. 1t is more practical to do a
god job at the start than to try and
supplement poor plowing by harrow.
ing and cultivating crops all summer
People are apt to think that dry
farm work Is too laborious and intri
cate TO pay well, but tho fact ls
it is about half the work Of irrigating:
we can do farm work nearly every
month In the year. Western prices are
the highest In the United States. and
the cost of dry farm land mere moth.
Ing In yeaFe, wet or dry, the moist
ure always comes sooner or later. We
have TO do Our part by conserving 1t,
and the requisite knowledge is any
body's for the asking. In thirty
years / have never lost a crop or a
tree from drouth or had buy a
pound OF hoy for. my stock