SHEEP IN TRE ORCHARD.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1036, 1 June 1894, Page 3

SHEEP IN TRE ORCHARD.

0.. . — The diverse treatment which oreh 7 ards receive throughout the, country (says an American journal) affords a lesson showing the great benefit of giving them the best management, and the loss from neglected treatment. Neglect is too uomtuon, and poor crops and scrubby fruit are the result. In contrast with these neglected orchards are a few which the owners, give the best attention, and who receive good prices for the copious returns of handsome fruit. One orchard of this class, which has grown to full bearing size, affords the owner a handsome profit every year, while his careless neighbors receive not more than onefourth of his returns. This well-man-aged orchard is ke.pt in grass, which is grazed short by sheep, the grass afforded them being only one-half or two-thirds as much as would give them full feed, the deficiency being made up with grain or meal. This is fed to them regularly in long broad troughs. The sheep eat every worm apple as it falls* and the fruit is thus kept nearly clear from insects. The droppings of the sheep enrich the ground, and a top dressing of barn manure is added yearly. The sales of fruit from this orchard for many years have been equal to lOOdols from each acre it occupies. 1 The shade of apple trees prevents a rank growth of the grass, and the grazing of the sheep gives it somewhat the appearance of a lawn. The owners of some other excellent orchards, who cannot use sheep, apply yard or barn manure more copiously. In one of the finest visited the annual application of manure had gradually made it two or three inches deep ; the result was a superb crop of apples. Other orchards, with less manure, are kept clean and mellow with a gang plough or acmo harrow, to keep the surface clean and in a finely pulverised condition.