No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 223 



matter pretty definitely settled, but there is now a marked tendency 

 to closer planting and heading in. As applied to peach trees, this 

 plan appears to have merit, for they are amenable to severe cutting 

 back. In the West, apple trees are treated after somewhat the same 

 manner. The planting is much closer than in the East. The prac- 

 tice of using fillers in an apple orchard has more advocates than 

 formerly. Beginners are usually more in favor of it than those 

 who have had experience, but of the latter class those who feel 

 themselves competent to destroy trees when need be, favor some 

 plan of close planting, with a view to thinning. 



There are possibilities in close planting, and yet there is danger 

 in it. It is a matter which will not doAvn and it must be studied 

 and discussed. As to the ability of the soil, under good culture to 

 sustain, for a reasonable period, from two to four times the number 

 of trees which are to stand permanently there can be no question. 

 The danger is not in overtaxing the soil and of robbing the perma- 

 nent trees of food. The injury to the permanent trees is more 

 likely to occur because of shading, causing, or forcing, the trees to 

 run up to too great a height. This may happen before the owner 

 is aware that crowding has occurred. Then too, the fillers shade 

 the cover crop and check its growth, thus reducing the supply of 

 humus. It is apparent that the fillers are thus indirectly robbing 

 the permanent trees. If varieties having a small top are chosen 

 for fillers the danger is lessened, but most of the sorts which begin 

 to bear at an early age are vigorous growers. 



A comparatively safe plan in an apple orchard is to plant the 

 permanent trees 35x40 feet apart and then to put in an equal num- 

 ber of fillers, such as Yellow Transparent and Wagener, so that 

 the trees stand 20x35 feet apart. This plan admits of room for 

 spraying operations and avoids, to a great extent, the danger of too 

 close planting. The use of peach trees as fillers in an apple orchard 

 is open to objections, aside from those enumerated. The treatment 

 of the two kinds of trees is often different and causes may often 

 arise where one or the other might be greatly injured by the same 

 course of management. In any case the peach tree is too gross a 

 feeder to be planted with apple trees, and it will be found to greatly 

 interfere with any well planned course of apple orchard manage- 

 ment. To say the least a young apple orchard having peach trees 

 in it is exposed to very great danger. The pruning of a young 

 orchard is simple but important. 



High headed trees are less in vogue than formerly and with their 

 passing we have less trouble to keep our trees from leaning and 

 i)ecoming lop sided. If we see that three or four good branches 

 start out at different heights around the main stem and are kept 

 about equally balanced there is not much more that really must 

 be done. It is well worth while, however, to shorten in these 

 branches each spring. This cutting back may be regarded as essen- 

 tial to peach trees; very useful in the case of all dwarf trees and 

 of considerable advantage to apple trees. It is done with peach 

 trees to prevent over bearing and breaking down, to keep dwarf 

 trees in shape and to secure good thick strong branches on apple 

 trees. 



A peach orchard is not up to date unless the trees are cut back 

 every year. If labor were easier to secure and to train it woulcf 



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