94 THE AMERICAN PEACH ORCHARD 



The plant uses nitrogen chiefly in making its 

 growth of wood and leaves. This element is of very 

 great importance and must always be present in 

 sufficient supply. It is easily exhausted, and such 

 exhaustion quickly shows in the growth of the tree. 

 At the same time there is an inexhaustible supply of 

 nitrogen in the atmosphere, though unfortunately 

 it is not readily available. The use of the legumin- 



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YEARLING TREES— HALE ORCHARDS 



ous cover crop is the one well-known method of 

 tapping this atmospheric supply. It is a method 

 w^hich should be used in fruit growing everywhere, 

 and especially in peach growing. In fact, all the 

 nitrogen necessary to many peach orchards upon 

 good soils may be taken from the air by growing 

 good cover crops of cowpeas, crimson clover or 

 mammoth clover. 



