The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-08-24
TREATMENT Of ORCHARDS
CULTIVATION AND GROUND FEED
ING QUITE NECESSARY.
BY ]. c. Written, Professor Of Hortl'
culture, College Of Agriculture,
University Of Missouri.

gin early in the spring, so as to
warm and aerate the ground, stimu.
late the growth of roots, and let
the spring rains penetrate to the sub.
soil where the water may be stored
till the hot. dry months of summer.
Clean and thorough cultivation OF or.
chards would have been a great help
IN some orchards this year, and
would have prevented much fruit
from falling OF on account OF the OK.
treme dryness.
The object OF cultivation is not 80
much TO keep weeds from growing as
to break up and pulverize the surface
layer of the soil and thus prevent
the excessive evaporation Of water,
Various tools are used for the work
The pillow is often satisfactory, and
the cutaway disk or disk harrow may
be used satisfactorily. The later part
of the cultivation should be shallow
go that too deep layer of soil will
not be dried out. a crust on the
surface should always be broken up
and a mulch Of pulyeri2ed dry soil
kept on top to hold the moisture.
Especially in a dry year like this
one. cultivation will help great deal
TO better success with apple orchards.
The proper time to cease cultiva.
ton in autumn is question frequent
ly asked Some growers set def.
mite date-say the first OF August,
after hitch cultivation is not to be
recommended. II Is claimed by some
growers that cultivation after given
date will stimulate late autumn
growth and prevent the wood from
properly maturing for winter.
Experiment seems TO indicate that
there is no fixed date upon which cul.
tivation should cease, but that this
should be governed by the condition
OF the trees. the weather and other
conditions. There is no doubt that a
late autumn growth which sometimes
Induces trees to open flower buds and
wood buds that should have remained
dormant until spring is very undesir.
able. It is probable, however, that
CCasing cultivation too early may be
as conducive to this undesirable con
dition of trees as is cultvating too
late 1t is also probable that proper
cultivation at the right time may do
much toward correcting this tendency
toward late growth. which is some.
times introduced by unusual weather
conditions.
When conditions for growth are
favorable throughout the season. and
trees are making abundant growth,
It Is no doubt best to cease cultiya-
ton in ample time for the wood to
ripcn. say the first of August.
II drouth comes on in late summer
or carly autumn. 1t may be best to
keep the land in good tilth in order
to conserve sufficient moisture to en-
able the trees to properly mature
their tissues.
If trees are carrying q heavy crop
Of fruit during dry autumn they
may require cultivation until the crop
Is gathered Cultivation at such
time. SO far from promoting a late
autumn growth, Is usually necessary
TO enable the tree to mature its fruit
without loss of vitality.
The more abundant the growth
early in summer, the later will cult.
walton DO necessary to properly ma
turc this growth, provided the wealth.
err is dry and hot during late summer
and early autumn, or ii the trees are
heavily loaded with fruit.
one of the most favorable condi-
tons for abnormal autumn growth
is TO cease cultivation Just before
q dry, hot August. Under these cir
Cumstanccs the trees suffer from lack
of moisture and enter their dormant
state prematurely. II warm. rainy
weather follows in autumn, the trees
often begin springlike growth and ac.
tiyity at the time they should become
dormant for winter.
The value OF cultivation In the or.
chard has been extensively tested by
the Missouri Agricultural Experiment
Station, and decisive results have
been obtained. II Is found that in
those orchards which have been cul.
tlFdltu libSt, lht Elb"NH vi tnt
young trees Is the greatest More
important than this, however, is the
fact that trees in n cultivated orchard
make a more uniform growth than
do those in one not cultivated. And
II is decidedly true that trees in cul.
tivated orchards are much less af.
fected by drouth than are the others.
The effects of n drouth may not al.
ways be seen in the orchard until
year or two years aftcrward.
However important clean cutiva.
ton is It Is not to be understood
that the ground should be left bare.
II is very desirable and almost es.
sential to vaise some kind of other
crop in the orchard. Corn may be
grown to some extent. although this
may be overdone, The amount OF
plant food removed by the crop Is
great, and It should not be continued
long after the trees begin to mature
One OF the most frequent mistakes lie
in planting the corn too close to tho
young trees, thus oyershadoSing them
and preventing a proper spread and