72 



THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



while the next row is composed of all fillers. Out of four 

 trees, three of them are peaches and one is an apple. 



More two-year-old trees by far have been set out than 

 one-year-old. The younger tree is gaining in favor, how- 

 ever, and large blocks of one-year-old apples are being put 

 out. The trees are headed medium low, about thirty inches 

 on an average. In nnost instances, both roots and tops are 

 being trimmed, at time of setting. From that time on, how- 

 ever, the young trees are left pretty much alone, as far as 

 pruning goes, until they begin to come into bearing. Branch- 

 es which cross are taken out and there is some thinning, but 

 almost no cutting back of the new growth. 



Farm Crops in Young Orchards. 

 Most farmers are growing some crops between the trees 

 for a few years at least. Potatoes, beans, cabbage, and com 

 are used extensively. The tree rows are kept thoroughly cul- 

 tivated. It is not uncommon to see a hay crop between the 

 rows, but it is an unusual sight at the present time to see a 

 young orchard planted and kept for any time within the sod. 

 A good many of the more progressive fruit men, who have 

 kept record of expenses and sales on these various crops in- 

 terplanted, have come to doubt the advisability of growing 

 field crops in an orchard, and unless it is necessary for finan- 

 cial reasons, a considerable number are giving up the prac- 

 tice and simply keep all the soil between the rows thorough- 

 ly cultivated, except while cover crops are growing. Tlie 

 question of cover cropsi for New York orchards will be dis- 

 cussed in detail somewhat later in this paper. The writer de- 

 sires, however, to mention here a practice of cover cropping 

 which is used quite extensively in some sections for growing 

 orchards, especially where they have been placed on light and 

 poor soil. The ground is plowed in the spring and kept thor- 

 oughly cultivated until late spring, when corn is drilled in. 

 A coating of manure may have been used in order to produce 

 a good stand of corn. In the late summer when the corn has 

 reached a rank growth, but before showing any signs of ri- 



