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Show CULTIVATION OF AN ORCHARD Stirring of Soil Helps to Conserve Moisture Young Trees Given Longer Period of Growth. The apple growers are nearly all practicing clean cultivation in their orchards, says a writer in Indiana Farmer. This indicates that cultivation cultiva-tion is the quickest method of bringing bring-ing young trees to a bearing age and perhaps it is the best method to pursue pur-sue in gaining annual crops. From my own experience and knowledge gained from growers in all parts of the country, coun-try, I am convinced that apple trees set on rolling or nearly level land will come into bearing two or three years earlier if given annual cultivation. It makes very little difference whether wheth-er the land be intercropped or not. provided sufficient fertilizing material Is added to grow the extra plants. The stirring of the soil seems to help in conserving the moisture find gives the young trees a longer period of growth each year than they have under sod methods. It i well to remember that a cover crop should be put in late in the summer to afford the roots some protection from the winter cold. When crops are grown between the trees, something should be raised that can be taken off early enough to allow for this. Invthe northern sections, sec-tions, rye or winter vetch is perhaps best. I think it a good plan to alternate alter-nate these for cover in the growing orchard. Farther south there is nothing noth-ing that can compare with crimson clover for this purpose. An orchard handled after this method makes rapid growth up to the bearing age. 1 have continued it after bearing, with the result that some of the trees have formed the habit of annual bearing. To my mind this is most important. With the older orchards, sod methods meth-ods with the grass mulch and annual top dressing of manure produce excellent excel-lent results. This means considerably less work. My experience indicates that cultivation is of value where it can be practiced with convenience. j Where the trees are left in sod, the ' grass should be mowed and left under the trees to hold the moisture. One cannot successfully take a crop of hay and a crop of apples from the same land, unless heavy fertilization is practiced. |