the nitrates and a part of the moisture, thus helping to ripen the
wood.

SOD MULCH.--The ordinary sod culture which is practiced in so many
orchards should not be confused with the sod mulch system. The one is
a system of neglect, the other of intention. In the sod mulch system
the grass sod is stimulated and encouraged and when the grass dies or
is cut, it is left on the ground to decay, forming a soil mulch
meanwhile. The removal of grass from the orchard as hay is poor
practice and should be discouraged. The grass mulch may well be
supplemented by the addition of other grass, straw, leaves, coarse
manure, or other similar materials. Sometimes this mulch is put on to
the depth of six inches or even a foot around the tree. Thus practiced
it is very effective in conserving moisture and in adding the humus
which is so necessary to the soil.

Sod and tillage have somewhat different effects on the tree and on the
fruit. Let us see what these effects are. It is common knowledge that
fruit is more highly colored when grown in sod than when grown under a
tillage system. This is probably largely due to the fact that tillage
keeps the fruit growing so late that it does not mature so well or so
early. Fruit is usually two or three weeks later in tilled than in sod
orchards. It has been shown that fruit grown under tillage keeps from
two to four weeks longer than that grown in sod. It is claimed
also--but this is a disputed point--that tilled fruit has a better
quality and flavor. Certain it is that fruit grown in sod is drier
and less crisp and juicy.

The effect of tillage on the trees is more marked and better known.
Tilled trees have a darker, richer green foliage, indicating a better
and more vigorous health. The leaves are also larger and more
numerous. They come out three or four days earlier in the spring and
stay on the trees two weeks later in the fall than the leaves on trees
kept in sod. Tilled trees make nearly twice the growth in a season
that those in sod do, in fact there is danger of their making wood
growth at the expense of fruit buds. Tillage also gives a deeper,
better distributed root system.

Despite the advantages and the disadvantages of each system, there are
times, places, and circumstances under which one is more advisable
than the other. On lands rich in humus and in plant food and level so
as to be easily tillable, cultivation is without doubt the best
system. But it should be practiced in con