FRUITGROWING.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 29 October 1913, Page 2

FRUITGROWING.

Published by W. A. Boucher in the Journal of Agriculture. Cultivation. As a general rule, m order to secure the best results in the development of the trees and the production of good size and high quality, regular and thorough cultivation of the soil is most essential. It is desirable, if possible to plough in the autumn, leaving the soil in the rough during the winter to weather and sweeten ; cross-plough in tho spring, and work down to a condition of fine tilth with disc or tine harrow. This should be followed by the working of the soil at regular intervals during the summer, either with a single or a two-horse cultivator, with the cbject of preventing a growth of grass or weeds, and also, in the event dry weather setting in, retaining in the soil the moisture that the trees require for encouraging snmmer growth and perfecting the crop of fruit. In most parts of New Zealand the average winter rainfall is abundant and well distributed, but it is no uncommon occurrence for dry weather and drying winds to set in during spring and early summer. If though cultivation of the | soil has been maintained, abundant moisture for the needs of the trees and crops will be retained owing to the soil -mulch on the surface ; but if cultivation has been neglected and the soil becomes compact, capillary attraction promoted by this condition will speedily bring the moisture from the subsoil fco the surface, to be evaporated by the sun's rays or carried away by dry winds. In this connection it may be as well to point out that though pulverization of the soil, for in the case of clay lands, especially if the surface is left in a rough condition or full of clods, one of the principal objects of summer cultivation—i.e., retention of moisture—will be defeated, for capillary attraction and evaporation from the subsoil will still take place, although not quite so rapidly, perhaps, as if there had been no cultivntion. Horse-implements for the comn orcial' and hand-implements for the domestic grower have been so far perfected that complete and through cultivation can be carried out at a minimum of cost and labour. In the commercial orchard of average size the practice will be to plough as much of the land as possible between the rows of trees, using a pair of horses, and finishing the strips along tliG rows, that canuot be so worked, with a single horse and a light plough. If the bridle for the latter be made sufficiently long, it will be possible to run tho plough quite close to the trunks of tho trees without injury to the limbs or twigs, thas reducing, as far as may be, the amount of hand-labor required for digging oi hoeing to make cultivation of the soil complete, it being, for many reasons, not desirable ihat strips along tho rows or squares immediately around tho trees should bo left unworked.

For breaking up and pulverizing the soil after ploughing, an extension disc harrow will be found of great service, the extension principal allowing the implement to bo worked close m to the trees, while the team required to draw it will be sufficiently far away to avoid injury to the limbs or trunk by harness or otherwise. With tho same object in view many growers now use the two-horse cultivator, with an extension outside the wheels to promote the cultivation that is required after ploughing and pulverization have been accomplished. (To bo continued )