TREES AND THE GARDEN. 



207 



the orchard should be carefully cultivated to form a 

 soil mulch, as plenty of moisture is of first importance 

 in the production of good fruits. Grasses, grains or 

 other uncultivated crops should not be planted in the 

 orchard at this time, as they absorb great quantities of 

 moisture from the soil when the trees need it the most. 

 Cover Crops. About midsummer, however, rye, 

 oats, clover or other leguminous crops are generally 

 sown. This is known as a cover crop. It absorbs 

 the moisture and the available plant food from the 

 soil, causing the growth of the tree to cease and the 

 buds to mature. It protects the soil and roots in win- 

 ter from freezing and thawing, and also from washing. 

 Early in the spring this crop is plowed under, adding 

 more humus and plant food to the soil. In this way 



OATS AS A COVER CROP IN AN APPLE ORCHARD. 



the fruit grower often maintains the fertility of his 

 orchard with little or no additional fertilizer. 



Spraying protects the trees from harmful insects and 

 fungus diseases. Although most of our orchards are 



