CARE OF ORCHARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18703, 8 May 1924, Page 14

CARE OF ORCHARDS.

VARIATION OF SOILS. .',: hints ON cultivation. H - USE OF THE PLOUGH. ■ '.■'. r '•; '*•). ■ . -.. '' 7,- '■ ■•V, - ' ;BY H. MCKWIN. . i: - Just -what constitutes a full and proper cultivation of an orchard is a matter that ? varies greatly with the particular class of "soil, the i rainfall/- arid > the 'comparative v weed' growths in each orchard in question.' ' \ •-- '" ' ■ •;?,<, /./,/ Some classes of soils/ require twice as ■ much handling as others in order to keep . • them",in good condition as regards • friableness ; and freedom from weeds, • etc. , The , great point is to study the particular na- . ture of the soil one has to deal with, and fit in each operation so as to get the best possible results. Where there .is > a quick growth of weeds : there will always be a greater necessity to put in more cultivations or harrovrings in order to keep them under and prevent their seeding, or where : the soil is of a stiff clayey nature and liable to set hard > during the , dry . weather there will also be the need of more harrowings and cultivations. - '///<'/>• • It is, perhaps, . possible •to injure an orchard soil by too frequent cultivations • ' but the danger nine times out of ten lies in the other direction. It is . also possi- • ble to put in a lot of work for nothing -'• through having it done at the wrong time. V ; The writer, has seen in the case of ■ young orchards put; out in light . sandy • soils, where by too incessant summer working the soil has been denuded of all. it s . humus supply, and the mistaken zeal of •; the owner has been; to never let a weed grow. • ' . By too early , ploughing in spring, the weecls may get >so - great a growth on before the soil becomes dry enough _to . carry on cultivation with the toothed imi> plements, that a second ploughing becomes ' needful, or it the soil ;be • ploughed while too .wet it may set so hard as to need thrice the amount of after working with J: harrows or cultivator, ;in order to reduce ' it to condition..; . On , the other hand, ' should the spring ploughing be left too late, the weeds may be, so nigh that the ploughing does.not cover them under, with . result that they; mature their seed, and smother and f" clog the tines of the culti- ' vator, so spoiling its work. , , ■*•: Economical'" and intelligent cultivation then consists of doing each : operation at ;• the right period, and in the right way, %and *• so - saving v any useless \ expense J or waste of effort. ' The Spring Ploughing. 5 . The spring ploughing is the foundation of all the season's cultivation, work, and if this be not well and truly done, ; the ; greatest part ;of the. subsequent workings i go to the 'reparation ; of ; it, and : are lost on account thereof. ' The ploughing, in ad- / dition to being done :; at the right- " time, • should be as deep .as i possible, consistent with the avoiding of any ; root' damage, to - the trees, and all weeds and growth should v be thoroughly covered by well, laid over furrows, leaving a couple :of inches of ■■ weed free soil on the surface to vwork • with so that the weeds may be kept hid- - den down. Following the ploughing a surv face harrowing with drag harrows if 5 the ground be a; clayey nature, or a week or. two - thereafter .' with the disc cultivators: ' if there is bo benefit to be. had from the . immediate harrowing. The discing should 1 .-.be first done with the same line as the furrows, giving a couple of strokes over v all, and after sufficient time : has, elapsed to destroy the - weeds that have been burj fed down by the ploughing the' toothed cultivators may be used crosswise in order to, keep the surface even, and catch the unplougbed portion down , the line of trees, v The general - practice is to ! plough "up to / the trees with \ the summer working, un- % less it be ; where the rainfall is heavy, dur-. ring winter, and it is essential to plough up •to, the trees for the winter;.months/: and plough away from them in the spring. /The j- disc ; cultivator has t become . one of. the most popular of orchard: implemented and one of it's chief faults :is ■ that it has the 5; tendency :to : heap' the * soil, in waves and ridges. If the spring tooth cultivator (or . rigid tooth) be used to follow up each : • discing, or used alternately, it. will;go; to 3 correct this trouble. It ;is possible how to ; procure r, one -way/discs, --. gAd also re- ' versible ones, but even these do not entirely obviate the ridging trouble. i ■ . -Both autumn and spring ploughing are v the 1 general rule in orchard -cultivation, - but where it. is oh 'hillsides ? and liable to wash, or low; lying .ground • that is : some--5 what wet, : the autumn - ploughing should be left out/, and»' simply deep - centre fur<r. rows ; run between each . row 'of • trees .; to Scarry off /the / surplus .water. - ; ' t» r ; Work in Early" Summer. h . 'Ht is .the - work c that;.is put in during the early summer, that '; counts ;as regards the value to the trees, be it hoeing,'; dig/ ging, or cultivation." ATI such -work > that ' goes in before the end of December helps I? Ihe growth, foliage,, and fruit. Any . work that goes- into the ? orchard Q afterr that time goes for weed destruction, but lias not influence-on. itself. ; , It is also desirable to-get in the bulk lofe\ the work before r the fruit .starts /to ; spread.{the r limbs; open, when > both/tree.; and fruit may be damaged with,the passling team. Furthermore, by such time, the preparation or work of picking and ■ marketing supervenes, and g any $ cultural work left- undone by such period is. likely to . remain undone. ~. - . \ ' While the •• orchard ;is X young, it should } have / up. to three or / four hceings/ each season, and nothing is more. important to: . the .young - growing ' trees 'than " that this work should -be well and deeply 'done at ; the Start of spring. Thereafter, when the - trees - have reached the bearing age the spread of the root system is wider and the cultivation" between, the rows of more importance than the ' handwork. /' Digging is: going ; much ' out of • fashion in ; orchards, and it is to the : great loss of' both trees and owners". l A good deep . loosening of soil around each tree every second ? . year with : fork of spade .will' do 5 much Ito keep it Jn'good heart/and when artificial manores an/ applied it is the best way to introduce rit quickly to the feeding roots instead of weeds feeding on it. .' < . - . """