Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-31

The repeated turning and frequent
summer cultivation Of the surface soil
has resulted in the burning out Of the
humus. The soils Of those orchards
planted in old alfalfa fields have with
stood clean cultivation much better. A
large percentage of these clean culti-
waited orchards will be seeded down to
red clover or alfalfa in the spring Of
1916.
The next most popular system of
soil management for young orchards is
clean cultivation and alfalfa. Most Of
these. orchards were Ave, six and seven
years of age in 1916; of sufficient age
that they could be seeded down to al
falfa after having been clean cultivated
for three or four years.
There 10 difference of opinion
among growers as to how long an orch
ard should be left in alfalfa. From
three to five years is the common prac-
tice. There is some complaint that
blue grass gradually crowds out alfalfa,
especially il heavily pastured. That,
however. can be prevented to some ex-
tent by the use of the spring tooth har-
row in early spring
The r. II. Woods orchard at Woods
Spur. Idaho, six miles from Payette. has
an ample water supply, and is perhaps
the best illustration ] can recall Of al
falfa alternated with cultivation. This
orchard in the year 1912, the trees
making the tenth seasons growth, the
number Of trees so per acre, yielded
1895 boxes of fancy and extra fancy
Ben Davis. The &c" grade and culls
were not counted. The crop was stored
in the Payette storehouse, and sold
f. o. b. Payette in the early days of the
following May at s1.03 a box, or s1333.S5
per acre.
GROWTH OF ALFALFA.
I'm some portions of southern Idaho
we have spots of tenacious clay. locally
called gumbo. These spots do not re-
ceive water readily under irrigation
aud are difficult to handle under culti-
walton. Alfalfa seems to be better than
clover for soils of this character, since
the alfalfa roots will penetrate more
deeply dawn into this tenacious clay.
Ultimately water follows the root sys-
TEN. The alfalfa is found very helpful
in redeeming soils Of this character.
Soils Of this character are likely to de-
velop rosette on the trees.
orchards in C1loraGo and Nebraska
have been subject to rosette fcl many
years. The Colorado authorities regard
an insufficient supply OF soil moisture
as frequent cause Of rosette. These
tenacious clay soils do not readily re-
ceive the irrigation water and trees on
this soil are likely to suffer from lack
of sufficient moisture during dry pc
RODS and develop rosette. Under suca
conditions alfalfa is found to be prefer
able to clover. At Pullman, WASH,
their studies on this question have in
Dictated that under their conditions al
falfa lessons rosette. Alfalfa, however,
requires a very ample supply of water.
The deep roofing alfalfa plant rapidly
absorbs subsoil moisture, and IL the
supply Of water available by irrigation
is not ample for both the alfalfa and
the orchard trees, the fruit trees are
quite likely to suffer.
Glover requires that the available
amount of water in an orchard shall he
at least twice the amount OF water that
would suffice for an orchard under c,l-
tivaticn, and this should be taken into
consideration in deciding whether to
seed with clover
CLOVER SEED CROP.
In young orchards it seems possible
to seed to clover where the amount of
water available is ample to grow a
possible seed crop which shall assist in
expense of orchard care. / do not think
we should expect clover in an orchard
to seed as abundantly as in clover
field, and yet it seems possible in IA
vorable seasons to grow enough seed
the second year to be material help
in the cost Of orchard management.
Personally, following the May freeze
we had regarded the year 1916 with
only two apples on 10000 bearing trees,
as likely to be a blank expensive year
We have, however, recently sold the
clover seed, and large amount of
clover straw, for a sum that was a very
great help in the years expenses.
Since clover is usually q two-year
plant, 1t doubtless shall ordinarily be
plowed under at the end OF the second
year, cultivated for a season, and re
seeded. We have plowed under all of
our three-year- old clover, will pillow a
portion of the two-year- old, and allow
the remainder to stand another season.
Under Idaho conditions fair growth
Of the clover may be secured the third
season. This we will likely disc down
to increase the supply Of plant food, to
be turned under in the fall OF 1917.
Now that VIC have an ample supply Of
Arrowrock water to supplement the
Pioneer allotment from the Boise river,
we will continue to grow clover in our
orchards. with the exception of perhaps
seeding with alfalfa on the guTbo
land"