The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-05

SHOULD AVON DEEP PIpWrN6


Blacksburg, va. July a. xs4s
Drinkard, Jr. assistant horttcpiturfe@2
at the experiment station, MirEinf9
Polytechnic Institute. has Thu to sny
about the tiIlage of. apple q<thArdes
apple trees require q large kmou1k
of water, because they are cfHtinuals
ly losing water from their expansfveS
evaporating surfaces, including both
leaves and bark PROFESSOR Burrtli,
Of the University OF IlIinoissssbas e.
timated that a large-sized apple trees
having $4,000 square feet Of evapo-
rating surface, win give or about 500
gallons of water per day during the
hot season The water lost ~ tran@s3
spiration is replaced by ahsprptious
from the soil The root systtn of ~
large tree has an enormous ramific4~
ton and draws water from large
volume of soil. x
Owing to the heavy demand Tor
water which the trees make IN the
soil. it is obvious that the best meanp
should be employed to conserve the
moisture in the soil for the use OF the
trees. During winter and early sprin1
there Is frequently an excess "a rain
fall The soil should be kept IN corr
dition to make of itself an @ffectivNs
reservoir for holding this excess ~
moisture.
Good Tillage for the Orchard
Good tillage is a relative term, d.
| pending upon the character 8of thos
soil and the stage of the develOpmeuk
Of the trees A tight clay soil requires
more frequent tiilage than = iccsss
stony soil. Good tiliage for apple tres
two years of age might be inJuriot,s
to trees twenty-five years OF ABe.
| Good tillage should begin at the
| time the orchard Is established. Be-
fore the trees are set. the land should
be thoroughly plowed, and II ul1e suit
! soil Ia tight 1t should be sub-Soll04}
at the. time of blowing. Sub-aoillmo
| makes 1t possible for the young ty091S
| to strike their roots deep into thts
soil. thereby increasing their rAnU9$
for collecting moisturs and feOd.
In q young orchard. deep pioWtnEs
may be practiced, but the ploW shcuIG
not be allowed to run into The land
near the trees. Before the root ayD4s
| TEN of the young trees becomes 81
| tensive, It IL safe to sub-soil the lMuA
between the tree rows. Flowing should
be done I'm winter or eraly spring e0a
rs to conserve the rainfall II thee
seasons. After the opening sof th9s
| growing season, cuitivafion# shouIq
consist largely Of surface tilla4~, uainG
such implements as the disc spring~
tooth and spike-tooth harr0Na. At7
| this season II Us important IN matn~
tain a dust mulch on the surface ~
| the soil so that the capillary tubes VIII
be broken and loss OF moisture thus
largely prevented.
| Deep blowing should genAxAiIy ~
avoided in orchards that havS reach-
ed the stage OF full productivity. be-
cause or the danger OF doing injury o.
the tree roots. Many successful grow
ers prefer to pillow their old orchards
with a single pillow. turning the laud
to depth Of only few inches. Hut
| there. care cases where thu dcu6lNs
pillow Is needed In the old orchard ~
well as the young.
| Cover Crop I'm MIDSUMMER.
Frequent surface ti1lage should No.
practiced until midsummer. At which
time a cover crop should ~ s0MM
| upon the land to give protection t0
the land during the winter. &nd Also
| to add organic matter to the eOsk
Many different plants have k6kn USED
very successfully for cover crops. the
| ciovers are the most used winter cow
ers of the leguminous class. md ry4X
! the most usual non-legume.
"A point which needs to be WAtchAGs
| very carefully. is the delaying az
+, blowing the land In the spring. wAtf~s
| ing for the cover crop to attain TIM
| desired size before turning II undeEs
! 1t frequently happens in Virginia thma
we experience periods OF drought U&s
greater or less duration In the sprtnoss
1t is important to plow the orchaS4
before the beginning of dry weath4fs
and the delay caused by waiting on ti6
! growth Of the cover crop may h4
avoided by using cover crop whtt41s
would make considerable growth t1}
the fall and winter for whtuh& pzl43
pose rye IL very well suited. II i 1943
! gumfnous crop Ii desired to add n&l*3