228 



THE POME FRUITS 



many trees to the acre; it has the advantage of being 

 easily laid out, it permits easy cultivation and it allows for 

 systematic thinning should the trees become crowded later 

 in life. 



The quincunx system allows the planting of many 

 more trees to the acre than the square system. This system 

 is like the square with the addition of a tree in the center 

 of each square. This plan introduces the use of fillers and 

 provides for a well-laid out orchard when the fillers are 

 removed. 



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i 1 i 1 1 1 1 



i 1 1 1 1 1 < i 



i 1 ' i < i 1 1 1 



i- i i ' i i i 



i i * 1 1 * 1 



Fig. 101. — Square system of planting an orchard. Placing the trees 

 30 by 30 feet apart gives 49 trees to the acre. 



The hexagonal system uses about 15 per cent, more trees 

 than the square system. In this system each tree stands in 

 the center of a hexagon formed by six trees, all equal dis- 

 tance from each other. It has the advantage of distrib- 

 uting the trees more evenly over the ground than any other 

 system, but the cultivation of the trees is more difficult. 

 This method does not provide any logical way of thinning 

 out of any trees later in the life of the orchard. 



