A well bored in the
orchard strikes water at about 15 feet. I find no apparent reason far
the death of these trees unless it is that the tap roots reach this body
of water and are injuriously affected thereby.
We do not believe that water at 15 feet depth could possibly kill a
prune tree. It is more likely that owing to spotted condition of the
soil, gravel should occur in different places, and with gravel three or
four feet below the surface a tree might actually die although there was
plenty of water at a depth of 15 feet. There is more danger that the
trees died from lack of water than from an oversupply of it, and it is
quite likely also that you could pump and irrigate to advantage large
trees which did not seem to be up to the standard of the whole place, as
manifested by lack of bearing, smallness of leaves, which would be apt
to turn yellow too early in the season.
Possibly Too Much Water.
My trees are four years old and are as follows: Peach, fig, loquat,
apple, apricot and plum. Last year they had plenty of blossoms, but I
got no fruit. I always watered them twice a week in summer.
You are watering your trees too much; stimulating their growth too much,
and this, while a tree is young, is apt to postpone its fruit bearing.
Give the soil a good soaking about once a mouth, unless you are situated
in a sandy or gravelly soil, in which more frequent applications may be
necessary.
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