GENERAL PRACTICE. ORCHARDS. 87 



at half the distance of the permanent. This would admit four times as many trees, as for 

 an acre at 24 feet apart, 75 trees are required, and at 12 feet apart, 302. The tempo- 

 rary trees from the third year bear an increased quantity of fruit each year. Up to 

 a dozen or fifteen years the temporary trees in no way interfere with the permanent ; 

 whilst the orchard is little less useful as a run for sheep or poultry. The duration of the 

 temporary trees would, of course, depend entirely upon the progress made ; but they 

 must not be allowed to remain to the prejudice of the permanent trees. When their 

 heads encroach on those they must be reduced, and, ultimately, the supernumeraries 

 taken away. 



If the orchard is sown down with grass at once, care must be taken to reserve a clear 

 space around each tree as before advised. The grass should be cut once with the scythe, 

 then manured and depastured. If cut for horses the orchard should be manured not less 

 frequently than every other year, and it is always advisable to eat the aftermath off with 

 sheep. Unless this is done the coarser grasses overpower the weaker, and the orchard, 

 as a producer of useful grass and fruit, is correspondingly diminished in value. In 

 sowing, care should be taken to secure a good tilth, and have the ground free from 

 perennial weeds. The grass seeds to be sown should have equal care in selection of 

 varieties as the fruit trees. Sweepings of the hayloft and cheap mixtures are dear in 

 the end from containing the least nutritious grasses and a large percentage of perennial 

 weed seeds. Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) gives a quantity of early grass. 

 Sweet Vernal (Anthoxanthum odoratum) is also early, but meagre in yield. Golden Oat- 

 grass (Avena flavescens) thrives on calcareous soils, and, though not a great yielder, is 

 much relished by sheep. Crested Dogstail (Cynosurus cristatus) is good for keeping a 

 fine sward. Hard Fescue (Festuca duriuscula) is very hardy, stands drought well, forms 

 a good bottom, and is relished by sheep. Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis) is liked 

 by all kinds of stock, particularly in a green state. Catstail (Phleum pratense) yields 

 nutritive, abundant early herbage, doing best on retentive soil. Evergreen Wood 

 Meadow-grass (Poa nemoralis sempervirens) does not afford a large quantity of herbage, 

 but it is succulent and thrives well under trees. Bough-stalked Meadow-grass (Poa 

 trivialis) grows rapidly, and produces abundance of grass relished by all kinds of stock. 

 Perennial Eye-grass (Lolium perenne) grows everywhere and on all sorts of soils, affording 

 abundance of early grass. These are all good for orchards, the rye-grass being used for 

 early produce. As their proportions vary for different soils, they can best be had from 

 seedsmen on stating the nature of the soil ; but mixtures should contain good proportions 



