The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-06-25
Dandroff
Summer Care Of Orchards.

that it 1t is not possible to grow
first-class fruit, even of the apple,
in orchards that are kept continu-
ously in sod, and from which hay
crop is removed, The grass-roots
rob the trees of their food and water,
and prevent both the growth of the
trees and the development of the
fruit to its full size.
Pasturing the Orchard-In some
pastures for cattle, sheep or swine
and, while this has some advantages
over keeping them as hay" or
chards, especially as hogs will cul-
tivate the soil to some extent, and
all will assist in keeping down the
insects by eating the fallen fruit,
they do some harm by browsing on
the branches. and by gnawing or
rubbing the back, while at best the
grass is still at work drinking up
the water and plant food from the
soil. While under some conditions
orchards may be pastured, as a rule
it cannot be considered the best
method of handling them.
Mulching the Trees.-The sod
mulch treatment will be better than
pasturing. In the case Of young
trees enough of the nay crop is
placed about the trees as mulch
to prevent the growth of grass. and
as they get older the crop is cut
and all of it is left on the ground
If there is no danger Of injury to
the trees, orchards that are sod
mulohed by packing the first crop
about the trees, may be pastured
later in the season.
In the case of bearing apple Or
chards even better results can be
secured if the trees are heavily
mulched, using straw or any crop
that has been spoiled in curing
This should be put on deep enough
to keep the grass from growing over
circle somewhat larger than the
branches If the trees are carrying
heavy crop and are making q
short growth, straw manure can
often be used to advantage This
treatment will often revive trees
that are apparently dying and will
certainly improve the growth and
enlarge the fruit.
Cultivating the Orchard. PloW-
ing and cultivating is also desirable
when trees are not doing we'll but If
persisted in for term of years. the
humus and fibre of the soil will dis
appear and it will soon become so
that it will hold neither moisture
nor plant food, and suffer seriously
from washing. For these reasons it
is seldom desirable to keep up the
cultivation until after the middle of
July or the first of August, and then
with the last working seed to Grim
son or mammoth clover, or use oats.
or better yet barley, if the trees are
making sufficient growth.
These crops help the trees to ripen
In the fall. lessen the injury from
deep freezing in winter and also
turnish a considerable amount of
humus when turned under.
Combination Sod and TiITage. For
apple orchards, in particular, some
of sod and tiIlage often
gives good satisfaction. While the
trees are small, some hoed crop NAV
De grown for number Of years. but
this should be discontinued when il
becomes difficult to properly cuIti-
Vate the trees, or when the crops oc-
eupy the feeding ground Of the trees
roots. After that, the center of the
space between the rows of trees NAV
De seeded to clover in June. and the |
strip at either side Of the trees cuI-
waited for another month, when q |
cover crop may be sown. The next
year the clover crop is turned under
Early in June and the land cultivated
or two or three weeks, when man.
moth clover may again be sown in
me spaces running at right angles
% those seeded the previous year
and the strips along the tree rows
may again be cultivated.
l.. r. Taft.
consulting Horticulturalist Michf- |!
gan Agricultural College, Lansing.