The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-08-06

ducing light crops of small fruit. Prun-
ing is usually described as light when
only the very weak or dead twigs and
the crossing and interfering branches
are removed.
Tillagc.
The most common practice Of tillage
is that of plowing the land in the spring
with a turning plow and Immediately
working it down into fine level con
dition and continuing clean shallow till
age through the summer. The best prac-
ticc, and one commonly followed by
many of the successful prune growers is
to follow the above system Of spring
and early summer tillage, and in late
summer to seed the orchard down to
vetch. This crop grows on the land dur
i ing the fall, winter and early spring,
and after it has developed good mat
of green material it is plowed under
late in April or early May. Clean tillage
| is then continued as in the previous sea
son. Some growers make the mistake of
blowing before good crop is developed
to plow under, and fail to obtain the
most possible fertilizing value from the
crop. The opposite tendency is to let
the cover crop stand until it has taken
from the soil a part of the moisture
that should be saved for the use of the
trees. The aim should be to let the
vetch develop to the largest size posi-
bic without robbing the soil Of moisture
that will be greatly needed by the trees
before the close Of the season.
The system Of tillage generally is
quite good, but comparatively few of
the orchards are SO managed that the
soil fertility is maintained or improved
from year to year. The soil fertility
should be improved as the orchards
grow older. The trees are larger and
are capable of bearing more fruit. The
orchards on the poorest soil have been
failing in crop production most fire.
quently, the trees making less growth,
the leaves being smaller and showing
greater tendency to curl and expose
the under side, giving the tree a light
gray appearance when seen from dis
tance. Some of this soil is so impover
ished that it will not produce a good
crop of vetch or weeds and grass. The
fertility of such soils must be increased
before the trees can be expected to pro-
duce satisfactory crops. The application
of decaying vegetation in the form of
BARNARD manure will be the best and
surest method where this material is
available The application of CONNER
cial fertilizers in sufficient quantity to
give cover crop good vigorous start
in the fall and early spring would prob
ably be of value. The limited tests that
have been made indicate that nitrate
of soda or some form of nitrogen fer
tilizer will give best results.
Orchard Conditions.
The orchards vary greatly in vigor
and regularity of crop production, and
these two qualities seem to be SO close
ly related that the second is in direct
proportion to the first. A few orch
ards located on good soil that is espe-
cially subject to late spring frosts have
repeatedly failed to produce good crops.
Land in such locations should be de-
voted to other crops. The orchards on
thin, light soil need all the help in
improving the fertility of the land that
can be given. The trees on this soil also
require more careful pruning and thin
ming of the crop. One or two crop fail
ures have disheartened the owners,
orchards have been neglected to their
permanent injury and some made en-
tirely worthless. The poor or unprofit-
able orchards should be improved by
adopting better system of tillage, fer
tilizing, pruning and spraying or should
be cut out at once. Orchards rever i'm
prove by neglect.
In Nuremberg. Germany, 500 Workmen