EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



233 



r F 



F P F P F P F 



P F 



I P 



F I> 



P F P F r 



P P 



Quincunx system. 



F P F P F 



Q lincunx .system with fillers. 



vantages of this system are similar to those of the square system. The 

 popularity of both is due to the possibility of planting the trees quite 

 thickly, and of thinning with a fair degree of success at what ever dis- 

 tance the trees are set. In such cases early bearing and maturing trees 

 should be used as fillers and planted intermediately between the perma- 

 nent trees. As indicated in the diagrams, the first proper thinning of 

 the square sj'stem is performed by removing every other tree and alter- 

 nating in the rows, and leaving the orchard in the quincunx system. 

 This in turn may be thinned by removing the central tree, leaving the 

 orchard in the square system again. Thus an orchard set 20 feet square, 

 when properly thinned, leaves the trees 40 feet quincunx or in squares 

 28.28x28.28 feet, running diagonally across the field. This, properly 

 thinned, leaves the trees in squares 40 feet apart. 



The hexagonal or equilateral triangular system is popular because it 

 distributes the trees evenly over the field and permits of planting the 

 greatest number of trees per acre at a good distance apart. Approxi- 

 mately 15% more trees per acre may be planted. While it has this ad 

 vantage, it has also the disadvantage of inconveniencing all cultivatiou, 

 especially in the turning at the ends of the rows and the necessity of 

 finishing up the corners, and also the impossibility of permitting any 



jt- p p p 



Hexagonal system. 



PFPFPFPF 

 FFFFFF FF 



F P F P F P F P 

 F F F F F F F F 



PFPFPFI'F 

 F F F F F F F F 



FPFPFPFP 



Hexagonal system with fillers. 



