Orchard Cover Crops in Delaware. 189 



East. Eastern fruitgrowers have their own special difficulties. They have mer- 

 its as well as shortcomings which western fruitgrowers have not. Perhaps it is 

 not fair to compare the two classes. It is no captious or critical spirit which 

 leads me to wish that our Atlantic Coast fruit-growing might catch a little more 

 of the enthusiasm, the aggressiveness and the open mind which characterizes the 

 fruit-growing of the Pacific Northwest. It is but the unbiased comment of one 

 who has observed both, and who believes that each can learn from the other. 



ORCHARD COVER CROPS IN DELAWARE. 



By Peof. C. p. Close, Delaware College Agricultural E.xperiinent Station, Newark, 



Delaware. 



Although the question of orchard cover crops has been agitated for several 

 years throughout Delaware, the practice of using them is not as widespread 

 as it should be. A few of the leading fruitgrowers have been us' g cover crops 

 annually for from ten to fifteen years with most excellent scuccess. The gen- 

 eral farmers of the State are, no doubt, covering larger areas with these crops 

 than are the fruitgrowers, since It is a common practice to sow the cover crop 

 seed ui corn fields at their last cultivation. 



It Is not difficult, as a rule, to convince a man that cover crops will im- 

 prove his orchard in many ways, but it may be extremely difficult to get him to 

 actually put them in. It takes times for a movement in progressive agciculture to 

 permeate a neighborhood ; the surprising part is that so many farmers joyously 

 ignore the fact they cannot afford not to be progressive. So long as the orchard 

 is treated like a forest, just that long will unsatisfactory results in fruit pro- 

 duction, continue. There is a movement now in many sections toward better 

 horticultural practices, and one which the Experiment Station is advancing is 

 the use of cover crops in orchards. 



WHAT AN ORCHARD COVER CROP IS. 



An orchard cover crop is a crop sown to cover the ground during that por- 

 tion of the year when very little or not any growth is being made by fruit trees. 

 If man makes no effort to cover the ground with economic plants, then nature 

 steps in and starts weeds and grass in the endeavor to protect the soli. 



WHAT DOES A COVER CROP DO? 



(1.) If sown at the proper time, about August 1 if weather conditions are 

 favorable, it competes with the trees for soil moisture and plant-food. The supply 

 of moisture and food to the trees is lessened and their growth is checked. This 

 is desirable, because at that time the trees should stop growing and ripen up 

 their wood for the winter. (2) It catches soluble nitrates late In the fall when 

 root action of the trees has nearly or quite ceased, thus much plant food is 

 saved rather than allowed to escape in drainage. (3) It prevents erosion of the 

 surface soil by catching the rains as they descend and by conducting them into 

 the soil. This is in contrast to streams of water flowing over the bare surface and 

 cutting channels for the escape of the surplus water. It also holds the snow 

 of winter which adds to the efficiency of the protection. (4) It protects the 

 ground from frost to a certain extent, that is, actual tests* have proven that ground 

 protected by live cover crop plants during the winter did not freeze so deep as 



*Craig; Page 101, Bull. 198. Cornell Expt. Sta. 



