No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 479 



tending the range of tillage and cover crops, to the hillside soils 

 with their own peculiar advantages. The combination should work 

 beautifully. We wonder whether there is any good reason for the 

 present custom of setting orchard trees in squares, triangles or 

 hexagons, except possibly for looks, and we question whether in the 

 management of the hillside soils, a well kept contoured orchard is 

 not to be preferred even for that. 



The next matter of importance to the man developing an or- 

 chard is how to make it pay its way, ujp to the hearing years. This 

 depends largely on the locality. Where soil and climate permit, 

 probably the surest method is by planting peach, or possibly plum 

 and prune fillers. There are some objections, however, to having 

 stone fruits and apples mixed,, one of which is the development of 

 curculio. Apple fillers with varieties of early bearing habit, such 

 as the Wagener, or fillers of dwarf apples on French Paradise stock 

 have also been suggested to meet this need. But their value in this 

 direction is not entirely demonstrated. 



Probably the best general methods of making a young orchard 

 pay its way are to be looked for in proper systems of intercropping. 

 Where potatoes are successful a very efiicieut system can be based 

 on them. AVhere the acreage is large or labor scarce a system in 

 use in Adams county in Mr. Tyson's orchard is very good. It con- 

 sists in cultivating the tree rows in gradually widening belts, and 

 between these belts, potatoes followed by clover and timothy are 

 grown with the addition of heavy fertilizing. One year of potatoes 

 followed by two years of hay rotated over three orchards is the 

 plan. It has carried the orchards up to eight years of age and re- 

 turned a fair annual profit. 



There may be some questions as to one phase of this system, 

 viz., the use of hay in the orchard. Timothy especially has been 

 credited with exerting a harmful influence on tree-growth. Its 

 place in the system may be justified, however, because of the large 

 acreage. And the harmful effects may be largely neutralized by the 

 cultivated strip about the trees, the liberal use of fertilizers and the 

 fact that the hay and sod diminish blight and check washing. 



For smaller acreages we would modify the above plan as fol- 

 lows: Plant early varieties of potatoes and follow them with a 

 cover crop of crimson clover or rye. In spring, as soon as neces- 

 sary to plow for potatoes, turn under the cover crop, add necessary 

 potato fertilizer and plant another crop of potatoes. Keep up 

 method every year, unless trees get such a vigorous growth that 

 fire blight strikes in, in which event it may be necessary to check 

 growth by cropping in hay or grass. 



Near good truck markets a vegetable intercropping system is 

 best. One in use in Waite's orchard in Maryland, is based on sw-eet 

 potatoes, cantaloupes and tomatoes. Briefly, it is as follows: First 

 year, orchard is set in corn, latter being kept far enough away from 

 trees to prevent injurious shading. Second year, it is heavily ma- 

 nured with 1,200 pounds commercial fertilizer, plus 10 tons of stable 

 manure per acre and set to Big Stem Jersey sweet potatoes. Third 

 year, orchard is intercropped with cantaloupes or tomatoes, or both, 

 followed with crimson clover. It is worthy of note that the clover 

 will not grow on his soil until after it has been trucked. Fourth 



