Show SOIlS SOIL S FOR ORCHARD 0 Should Be Careful Preparation Made Before Planting Trees Should Be On New Land Plowing From Six to Twelve or Fourteen Inches Deep and Graded for Distribution of Water Montana Mon Mon- Montana Montana Horticulturist W W. FISHER By Dy R R. tana Agricultural College Experiment Station The soil soli on which fruit plants are to tobe tobe tobe be set out should be given very careful careful careful care care- ful preparation before any arc are planted On new land this preparation consists in plowing the soil from six to twelve or fourteen Inches deep carefully grading so that water can be distributed distrIbuted distributed In furrows from one end of the field to the other and then growing a crop of or clover alfalfa peas or some cereal for one ono or two years In or order er that the soil can be pulverized and opened up to the action of the air and to supply humus A method that is practised with success Is to plow theland the theland theland land deep In the fall and grade It ItIn In tho the spring following oats and red clover are planted The oats are harvested harvested har har- vested the following fall tall and the next year one crop of clover hay can be cut and the second crop plowed under as a green manure In the spring orthe of or the third year the soil should be In excellent condition for fruit trees In Incases Incases Incases cases where the farmer does docs not desire desire de de- de sire to wait walt so long before planting trees they can be set In the spring of the second year following a crop of or oats and clover or potatoes or some crop may be grown Instead On soils In which there is found a large amount of humus It may not be necessary to grow an annual crop previous to planting the trees As a general rule however much better results result results re re- sult will follow from the growing of I some crop on the lana land before fruit trees are set out On land that is to tobe tobe tobe be irrigated the surface should be leveled leveled leveled lev lev- and graded so that water will run through small furrows from one end of the field to the other without flooding the ground On soils that are very uneven on the surface a grader will prove efficient in smoothing It This grader will take the soil from the high places and deposit in the depressions On very uneven surfaces where considerable soil has to be moved a slip scraper scraper Shuart grader or other specially made Instrument may prove better adapted to the work After the grading Is done the soil should be thoroughly cultivated with either a disk harrow a spring tooth or spike tooth harrow depending depending depend depend- ing upon the character and condition of or the soil On land that Is irrigated it Is desirable to run a grader over after each plowing In ord order r to smooth down the surface so that water can be easily distributed At planting time trees are taken from this trench a few at a time andset and andset andset set in the field but at no time lime should the roots be exposed to the direct rays of the sun They can be protected Inthe in inthe inthe the field while planting by throwing a wet sack ack or cloth over the roots In the growing fruit-growing valleys many different soil and climatic conditions exist and it follows that different varieties varieties varieties va va- will prove successful In several several several sev sev- eral of the fruit valleys trees have not been grown for a long enough period to determine with any degree of certainty certainty the varieties that will prove most profitable For the higher altitudes altitudes altitudes alti alti- tudes and colder parts of the state stat the varieties have been determined A different selection of varieties would necessarily be made if the fruits are grown for commercial purposes than 11 If f grown only for home use In growing growling growling grow grow- ling ing fruits for home consumption the grower can choose with more regard for his own personal tastes while commercial varieties demand that they be suited for shipping and to meet the demands of fruit buyers |