Show 5 tf a 1 t i iff I WESTERN NATURE STUDIES By j H PAUL PAULi PAULe f e I i 11 THE TILLAGE AND PRUNING OF ORCHARD TREES Professor or Northrup spoke before the 3 nature classes chases at the university last laM laMp p Monday on the rare fare re of the fruit or orchard orchard ori i chard His lecture embraced t tr r I lest leu of the th following folio wine topics Stirring of the Soil LI 1 The Th first point to be observed ob is il that t th tit surface soil 1011 around fruit t the 9 1 1 should all sh uM uld b bi stirred and regularly arlY cults cultivated i i voted during spring summer and fall I What is II aimed at is il to rotate the top t layer of f soil oll by turning it under each e ch a year star to form the feeding layer for the thet I t roots that seek tiek the surface in starch search reh of t sufficient air heat moisture and plant foods f fth ud Od udY Y For the feeding Ung root roots of planted trees tree come eeme t to tn near nf r the surface of the soil I they spread out in the upper layers of tb he soil soli The lh room that go downward seek the th Roil Mil water those t that come near to the surface get pt most of the plant food fond The top layer of earth is III l the principal feeding layer for or the I i plant and the object Is II to renew this thia I layer by turning It under every other year in order that it may become the I fi feeding layer for the upper plant roots E which as stated are the principal feed teed feeders ers era er In other oth r word the work ork of soil I tillage in the orchard is done In this 1 top layer o earth 8 Ith which is about six sixt t inches In chell in n depth and aDd which to Is i the main l r soil mil laboratory in which ditch plant food is prepared by the various natural agents gentl gentled ed by man ii Tillage and Cultivation iI ie The operations of or tillage and cultivation t I lion tion consist simply of or loosening and I stirring the soil soli Tillage Includes both boUl the preparation before planting and an the 4 working of the soil soli after arter the crop is IsI I planted while cultivation Includes only r I l the stirring of o the soil sail after the crop has been planted For moist soils lOlls it is best beat to practice deep tillage in fn the preparation of the seed eed bed and shallow cultivation ater ter the Ute crop ernP is planted Deep tillage tulaga gives 4 the plants a 8 large amount of room in which to send end their roots In search of ej food allows the soil son to drink in r I tote tiie rainfall more freely and permits the air II to enter the soil and help in the thet t preparation of plant food Shallow cul col cultivation ovation checks the rapid lose lOBS of water ateI iI from its surface kills weeds and helps to t to admit air all to the surface layer of or soli soil I Plants are arc like animals in that they the q mutt have food and drink or they soon i and die Animals can move about from place to place and secure their food but plants must get their th r l f food and water by sending their roots out GUt Into the soil noil The tiny roots which ti spread out through the theL soil soli are busy bu y yell 1 ell all of or the time taking up water from the thel B ll l I for tor the use of the stalk and leaves I above bove This water as it roes FOes into the they y plant through the roots carries with It Iti i I to plant food which it has dissolved di t out o t of the little soil BOil particles r I The Importance of or these facts as ap applied apI plied led to orchard tillage becomes more 1 evident when we consider con the manner In which the roots of trees grow and the theft ft I I I pectin areas at which they chiefly absorb nutrition n and soil soli water waters t r s Region of Plant Food r Plant food is most abundant near the theY Y i top of the soil oil wI It is there say in the str r first six inches that the air the rain the tit frost the fertilizers have their r 1 strongest effects in preparing plant I food because these are the soil soll regionS i it most t accessible to these thelle various agents agent agen of the changes that take place in the disintegration of rock into soil BOil and plant food The result raul hi is that the roots of trees tree developing fastest in the directions in I which plant food Is most abundant a un dant tend to come very near n r to th the outer surface of this top soil oil layer Here when drought draught come on Od they the thew will w l suffer uffer and shrivel from f m the heat hoot and the of the air which IB is I abundant in the spaces of o this loose lOOIe top layer Now m is cultivating this top layer say gay Yo by the use Ulle of a 8 har bar barrow harrow harrow row we cut off oil most moat of the roots that come too near neat the surface for their final good and thus thua send end the roots a little I deeper into the soil This result has hasI several everal great reat advantages the feeding I roots go deeper and secure leCure better pro protection protection against the summer and fall tall heat and these roots they are the smallest rootlets and are tipped with innumerable line fine hallS hairs are re greats multiplied by being cut off oil since they th branch brunch more profusely each time an end is severed Revered But In going deeper deepen they come Into contact with a more per permanent permanent manent supply of soil soli moisture and It H Is from soil BOil moisture alono that plants plan l secure their food from the earth Dissolved In Soil Soli Water Part of the food of plants as is I well known is II taken In by the leaves l vee In the form of carbon the carbon IB Is re retained retained for or the production of or starch sugar and vegetable fiber while the oxygen is breathed out again Into the th atmosphere atmo But we are speaking here only of the mineral mineraI part of plant food the part obtained from the soil Oil and this part is taken in only when it has been dissolved In the soil water If It salt or sugar is IB placed In water It i quickly disappears the water dissolves It it takes It into solution All the food that comes from rom the soil soli must be in solution before It can be used by the plant The water that tl at goes In through rough h the roots passes pas es out through the leaves into the air and leaves the plant food behind to build up the tissues of the plant What Cultivation Does Stirring tl the e soil soli and breaking up the clods brings the writer w ter into contact with more soil surface and hastens ha tens the solution of the plant food In the heavy soils solis the water passes paa es downward so 80 slowly that plants in their early growth send out only a very very shallow root system because the free freewater freewater freewater water Is so near the surface and because be because because cause the common fild plants will not send Bend their roots into free water In time the water its way prey far be low the roots of the plant a drought comes on and the plant dies or shrivels because the root system in its early earl life Ufe did not extend deep enough to find the film tUrn water that is a thin water coating on the soil BOil which would supply it during the dry season When the top soil soli of orchards has been cultivated from the first the sur surface surface surface face seeking roots have been contin continually continually continually cut off oft until the roots have per permanently permanently permanently established themselves be below beloti low loti 10 the harrow line which is about four inches below the surface Weeds Weed start above the harrow line so o that that surface cultivation gets rid of I 1 I f l II I I I t a aA j i r 0 4 I I A A B 0 J V e J Lt I II 1 r J rl f I J 1 r le lera 15 ra r a r rP rA i ir iA P r J A The relation ra of root to top In a nursery tree lifted for shipment B How H w the roots are tro tiro cut at digging time C Plan PIRn of ef tree at planting time timeD D B A n tree at tho the end of the tho first seasons growth E a Plan of or top after one years growth in the tm orchard United Stages Department Agriculture them also als And after the harrow has been employed during tho the first few years year a small plow may be used and the th top layer turned completely under to become the feeding layer ot o the next season Plowing brings a new layer of earth to the top where it also will wills soon s on be converted into a layer similar similarly ly Jy fertile to be plowed under for the succeeding yearn yeara year a kind of rotation of soil soli layers that is of the utmost ad advantage advantage advantage vantage to the trees resulting In the production of fine and abundant fruit The soil of the orchard can be plowed a little deeper each year ear thus bringing into the fertilizing zone fresh materials from the deeper earth strata The same conditions hold lold good in the preparation of soils solis for tor any kind of crops The depth to which the soil soli should be prepared depends upon the depth to which the plant roots will penetrate Wheat oats and other small grains are shallow do not need so deep deepa a seed bed as corn or root crops Soils Solis that have hav ha always been plowed shallow should should re Db deepened gradually by setting the plow to go about one I inch each season until a depth I of eight or nine Inches has lias been reached If this deepening de is not done don gradually the soil soli will be Injured and poor crops will result for several sea seasons seasons seasons sons Air in the Soil The authorities on soil soli matters esti estimate estimate estimate mate that about of the total space occupied by b sand and about one half of that taken up by clay Is occupied occupied pied pled by the soil particles themselves and the other half halt is taken up by air all if f the soil sail be dry dO For the tho best growth of crops about half of the space not occupied by soil soli should be equally di divided divided divided vided bet air and water This is because the roots as well as the leaves must have air plenty of or oxy oxygen OX gen since they must breathe If the soil is not drained this space becomes entirely filled fined with water and the plants whose roots are feeding in the i soil soli are suffocated from rom lack of or air I and oxygen Some plants such as the cypress and water lily have special structures which enable them to ob obtain obtain tain t in their oxygen from the alrand wa water water a ater ter while their roots 1008 are entirely under underwater underwater I water but our common field plants do donot donot donot not have hao this power and must not be covered in the free water of the soil The only water that is taken In by plant roots Is the thin film the capil capillary capillary capillary lary moisture that adheres closely to each soil grain Free water which fills the spaces between the tile soil soli grains literally rally drowns the plants by cutting off oft the air all and oxygen from the breathing pores of or the roots To Hold the Soil Soli Water On the other hand and this is the condition most prevalent in m the soils of or our state soils solis that are quite sandy and gravelly graell may allow the water to pass downward too rapidly and thus deprive the plants of needed moisture In such suet cases it is necessary to treat treal the land In such a way that its water holding capacity rapacity is increased This may be done by plowing under stable manure or any well rotted vegetable matter which assists the soil to bold hold boldi I i water atEr like a sponge j I I By the time the cultivation reaches a depth of ten inches from the surface every root will have been cut off till it has branched and multiplied enormously in the zone Just ju t teUt beneath the line These root branches with their innumerable root rootlets rootlets rootlets lets and feeding tips enable the tree to increase inere many fold its feeding abil ability abilIty ability ity and upon this depends very large largely largely ly tIe tle vitality and fruit producing power flower of the individual 1 tree and of the orchard as a 8 whole Let us note then the tile conclusion of i matter it will pay and pay well to cultivate the ground of the orchard just as we do that of the vegetables vegetables vegetables or field crops crop cro The cultivation should begin at the first and should be continued as long as s the orchard Q hard is maintained Pruning the Trees nother Another branch of orchard culture I taen td up by the professor was wall that th t of pruning priming the trees Orchard and shade trees trees should be pruned cut back heavily ly when first fint set get out because the toots roots liars havo always been greatly reduced red process of them out at Roots in their new transplanted ted position are not Mt able to take up immediately the food tood and moisture with which they come into contact and amI in order to support the tree the area of its top branches must be even more severely reduced than that of tile the roots has hf been be n because J 9 food arid and d by the d cost et so I transplanted tree tee as asby asb asby successfully by a by b one that is thoroughly established I IThe in the soil soli The First Cutting Back BackAll BackAn BackAll All An mutilated or dead roots should first be removed by making cleah clean cuts Fruit trees will stand severs severe root prun pruning prunIng pruning will not since their ing but evergreens gummy sap congeals and smothers the roots at every cut place The branches of or shade trees other than evergreens evergreen are so 50 trimmed as to develop a compact head high above the grounds ground while fruit trees are so trimmed as to branch low and open so asto as to pre prevent prevent prevent vent the shading of any branch by the others For this result the branches should be left at equal oqual distances along alone the stem evenly occupying the space sp within a symmetrical outline The Power lower t branch may be five fie or six alx turf line the second feet from from fr m the branch should be at an angle of 23 33 or o d degrees from the first one and several inches above it rather than in the saute same plane with it The third branch may maybe maybe maybe be 66 GG or 90 degrees d grees from the first and from four to eight inches above the sec second second ond oDd branch Corbett If It branches are left opposite tte each other oth other other er they are aree likely y to spit open when weighted with fruit or with heavy he vy snows The main branches there therefore fore be three or five In number rather than two tO The plant has a natural ten tendency tendency tendency dency to divide in twos and this must be prevented by pruning The Later Pruning Apple and pear trees are made to branch about three feet from the ground while peaches pe and plums pluma are headed he ded at eighteen a or twenty toot Inches in order to tomake make make harvesting easier and to reduce the effects of winds and aDd storms TIle The fruit tree Is Js pruned each year dur the tho first ten years of It growth IJ 4 C I yc t f A An n t t P P i Y ii I i 1 i U q l J I Ig t I I It g c c a tl At the left above th the cuts shew show the results of or correct and a d Incorrect pruning A correct method m hod after atter two years B Incorrect t method At the right Is ia shown h wn the progress of decay due to improper r pruning in inthe inthe inthe the dead stub b deem of heart At the left below is shown how to cut oft off a large larse limb At the right below is shown at a the proper way of cutting off shoot shoots Wrong ways are shown wn at b c d United States Department Agriculture At the extremity of lung long branches careful tri nary sary With pesos pears Ull and apples apple ti tar m T body branches left at planting mar mal Should not be more than eight in josh tire tin I long At the lose Hose of the first J a as t when pruning time arrives th Ero of that year should again be te shortened i to at least one foot and aDd ea earh h of f t main body branches should hould be b bf to not to exceed carry |