The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-10-30
Cultivation in the Orchard
By Gordon q. Brownl


Very shortly the apple grower should
determine how he intends TO handle his
trees during the coming wear. The
writer does not refer to the calendar
year, but to the period beginning now
and ending with ne ext.year's crop. The
past season has been splendid from
nearly all standpoints. 1t has been
sufficiently long to permit full matur-
ity in size and color.
There are many orchards in the
Lower Valley where sizes were not as
good as might have been possible.
Thinning, pruning and irrigation, of
course, played an important part in
results, but one of the greatest fac
tors was fertilization and cover crop
ping. 1t appears that even where nj
trate of soda has been applied the con.
tnued use of alfalfa has not given the
best results in all cases. This is es.
peeially true where alfalfa has not
been cultivated or neglected entirely.
Reference is here made especially to
some of the older orchards where al
falfa has been growing for a number
of years and through neglect or other
edueSo Hnc pCSoHiC HioIc VI tCoS iuH
out by grass.
To bring out the point more clearly
| wish to compare two Spitzenburg
orchards, both of which have been in
bearing from six to ten years. Orch
ard No. up to and including 1916 was
badly run down because Of clean culti-
walton practiced exclusively. Up to
and including 1918 alfalfa was grown
between the trees, but owing to the
excess of weeds and grass the stand
was turned under in the fall of 1918.
This past spring alfalfa was reseeded,
together with rye and a fairly good
stand secured. The trees at the time
alfalfa was turned under were in good
condition and had borne two good crops
successively in 1917 and 1918. Last
spring the trees received a moderate
pruning consisting chiefly of thinning.
Some heading back was also practiced
Orchard No. 2 has been in alfalfa
continuously since the spring of 1915.
1t was reseeded in 1918, but has never
been plowed. Each spring light culti-
vation with spring.tooth harrow has
been given. During the past six years
the trees have had four applications Of
nitrate of soda. This past spring three
pounds were applied, as was also true
in Orchard No. /. The trees have
borne good crops in 1914 and 1915 and
heavy crop in 1916. The following
two year gave small crops with sizes
running small. Color has been excel
lent, however.
The writer has just checked up re
suits for this seasons crop in both
orchards. Color and yields have been
good in both cases. There has been
considerable difference in sizes, how.
ever. The trees in Orchard No. 2
show as high as 80 per cent of the ap,
Piles running as small as $50 to the box
and smaller, as compared with as little
as nine per cent for apples of similar
size in Orchard No. where the alfalfa
was turned under.
The grower will want to interpret
these results carefully. This is not to
suggest that alfalfa be turned under in
all cases. IL the trees are young the
necessity is less than where trees are
old. On the other hand, there appears
to be considerable evidence to support
the view that where trees are not
making their best growth and sizes
tend to run small as result of q
shade crop which has more or less run
out, it is better to practice cultivation.
Where it is desired to get the full ben.
eft Of the crop as soon as possible fall
plowing is undoubtedly best. How
ever, whether the grower decides to
plow up his alfalfa or merely cultivate
it thoroughly, the influence of this
practice is evident.