OCR Text |
Show A WELL CULTIVATED ORCHARD. The orchird at the Agricultural col-lege col-lege of Utah that has been used for experimental purimses during the past eight years wis this year used In dem onstritlns what la believed by tho writer to be tho best nnd cheapest method of nrchird cultivation and Ir-rli'iitlon Ir-rli'iitlon Tho orchard consists nf approximately ap-proximately four acres and contains apples, ap-ples, pears, plums prunes, cherries, apricots nnd peaches, so Intermingled as to preclude the possibility of giving each class of fruit the special ntten-tlon ntten-tlon It might need at any given time In fact, the orchird Is mlxel up very much us the fiult trees on the ordinary farm The ground was not ploughed lough last fall according to the rule, but In order to hold the storm waters from running oft and to prevent pack-lng--of boII, as well ns to fertilize, a heavy coating ot manure that contained con-tained considerable stiaw was applied. As early In the spring ns thc ground could be worked a heavy disc was run two ways over the grbund for the purpose pur-pose of cutting up the manure and Incorporating In-corporating It with thc soli The second sec-ond discing was done in the two dlig-onal dlig-onal directions, so ns to catch all spots between the trees After thus thoroughly thor-oughly loosening the soli to n d"pth of nbout seven inches the common smoothing harrow was used In four directions, di-rections, north and south, cast and west, and both diagonals This put the soil ln excellent tilth and tho soil moisture vvas retained so that no Irrigation Ir-rigation was given until June 2 Tho method of irrigation was a departure de-parture from that which had been In vogue and was Intended for e'emon-stritlon e'emon-stritlon purel). Instead ot the flooding, flood-ing, which had been practical, deep furrows were run about four feet from eauh row of trees Into these furrows very small, slow streams were run, the water usually used In ten furrows being be-ing divided into flft) These strcims were permitted to run for fore)-tlght to sixty hours. In this manner every drop of vvntcr vvas utilized and thc soil vvas saturated to a depth of three feet. Better still, there being no water applied ap-plied to the surface the -oots of the trees were called down to the more permanent water supply. As soon ns possible after Irrigating the furrows were closed by running a common harrow har-row lencthwlse over them. This was for the purposo of mulching nnd holding the water ln the soil Up to date thero have been four irrigations ir-rigations of tho orchard, viz, June Ind nnd 23rd, and July 15th and 31st Two more wntcrlngs will be fclvcn tho apple and peir tree for the purpose of swelling tho fruit All cultivation will cease thc last of August nnl the trees bo permitted to ripen both fruit nnl wood, No originality is claimed In the methols empl0)ed but It Is slmil) cited thnt while all orchardlsts agree I as to tho advlsablllt) of such culture, not ono In COO cnrrlcs It out The orchar 1 In question Is now In charge of Mr. I! W. Crockett, foreman nnd he Is fully convinced of the great superiority of the modern methods as contrasted with the flooding, Inking and ploughing that has been given the oi chard In jcars past Nowhere ln Utnh can there be found nn orchard In belter stito of cultivation anl It will pay Incredulous people to take a trip to Logan for tho put pose of sat-Isfjlnc sat-Isfjlnc themselves us to the wisdom of thc deep furrow Irrigation nnd tho utility of tho disc as an orchard cultivator. |