The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-07-07
TO HOLD MOISTURE
More Narrowing and Less Water
Gives Best Results.
ey Keeping Ground Free From Weeds
and Making Mulch OF Dry Earth
Natural Moisture Can Be
Conserved.


More narrowing and less water OF
the land will produce the best results
In upland orchards. Thinning III,
fruit to secure uniformity in size ant
to prevent over.production, thus as
suring crops yearly, Is also essential
writes Prof. Cyrus l.. Smith, insti
tute lecturer of Eastern Washington
In Colorado Fruit Grower BY keeping
the ground free from weds and har
rowing once week during the grow
ing season, thus making mulch OF
the dry surface earth, the natural
moisture can be conserved sufficiently
TO grow fruit that will command the
best markets.
When the season is a favorable one
great percentage of large apples
may be grown with little cultivation.
but the grower who neglects TO cul-
uvate well every year will often fail
70 secure marketable fruit during the
very seasons when prices are the
best. The most successful orchard
lists are those who give thorough cul-
ovation each and every year
Last season was the dryest for
many years, and yet wherever the cul.
uvation was thorough and intelligent
the results were satisfactory. In fact.
the size and quality were without ex-
ception fair Index of the method
and the thoroaghness of cultivation.
In one orchard 16 years old we Sc
cured more than 60 per cent. of four
tier apples of such varieties as Bald
win, Greening, Spitzburg and Ben
Davis This orchard was plowed
early in April. The blowing was done
deep In the center of the rows, eight
To ten inches, and four to FIVE inches
close to the trees. The ground i'm.
mediately around the trees was then
dug over with mattock then disked
crosswise OF the blowing twice. then
run over with clod crusher. then
narrowed. Afterward It. was har-
rowed every week from May / to
August 10, altogether making 10 cul.
tivations at an expense OF $3.50 an
acre for man and team and two dol
lars for hand work, or total of $3.50
an acre
While this might seem somewhat
expensive and intensive, the results
more than justified the economy of
the continual cultivation, as in an.
otner orchard where all the conditions |
were the same and the cultivation |
was the same except one disking and |
-hree borrowings were omitted, saving |
Bl.25 In expense, there was a differ.
'nce OF more than $50 an acre in the
value OF the fruit. Another orchard |
d the same age, the same varieties,
he same SOIL was disked twice and
narrowed twice and produced only
EN- per cent. of marketable fruit
The soil from October TO April
mould be rough and loose to catch
md hold the moisture; from April to
october maintain continuously a fine
lust mulch over the entire surface
this is done there will be no weeds
Tor any unnecessary loss of moisture
less than ten per cent. of the or
hards are as well cultivated as they
hould be-
When the soil inclines to run to-
ether when wet and bake hard when
lacks humus, if barnyard manure is
valuable il is the best and readiest
means of supplying the humus or or.
anlc matter to the soil. The best
lethod of applying this is by ton
ressing during the winter season, If
he manure is not available use
over crop, preferably vstch and win.
or wheat When this is done the
pring plowing can safely be delayed
nth the first week in May, but not
iter unless il should be a cold. wet
eason. Turn Under the cover crop
ood and deep and Immediately fol.
wv with disk twice or three times
len harrow continuously every
eek until August IS.
When cover crop is to be used 3
sed IL at the last cultivation as near
the middle of August as practi.
able. :
10 secure fruit uniform in size, to I
refent overbearing and to obtain an. c
lal crops, it is necessary to thin the
uit radically. 1t is better to hire
'me one to do this by the day or !
lnr' Few men have the time to thin +
lelr own fruit as it ought to be done :
the pruning has been properly done
I'd the fruit spurs are properly dis +
ibuted over the entire tree. then n
-inned so the apples will not touch a
Ich other, there will be as many h
IT as the tree ought to carry. The
uit will be larger, better matured. =
ID much more uniform than when al. n
wed to grow in clusters. !,