ORCHARD CULTIVATION 59 



If no other crops are to be grown in the spaces be 

 tween the tree, this sort of cultivation can be kept up 

 till about midsummer. Cultivation in general should 

 slacken and stop simultaneously as the growth of the 

 trees slackens and stops. When cultivation ends for 

 the summer the ground should be sown to some cover 

 crop, as explained elsewhere. 



In many orchards, especially in those which are not 

 double planted (see page 27), it is feasible to grow 

 some catch crop between the rows of young trees, at 

 least during the first few years. Some men think it is 

 never best thus to crop a young orchard, but with 

 proper care and liberal feeding, there can be no dam- 

 age to the trees from the presence of catch crops of 

 the proper sort. 



Strawberries make a very satisfactory crop for the 

 spaces between orchard rows, but they cannot be 

 grown very successfully after the trees become large 

 enough to cast an appreciable shade. Annual garden 

 crops are usually best for this purpose, partly because 

 they are usually well cultivated, partly because they 

 tempt the manager to liberal fertilizing, and partly 

 because cultivation ends for them at the same 

 time when it would properly end for the trees. Early 

 beets, early carrots, early turnips, radishes, peas and 

 beans are the best. Early corn is advised sometimes, 

 but is not quite so good. Late vegetables should be 

 avoided because they require late cultivation. 



Grain crops of all sorts, such as grow without cul- 

 tivation should be absolutely prohibited, except that 

 rye, barley and oats may possibly be used to some ex- 

 tent as cover crops. In that case, however, the grain 

 is not harvested, and even under these circumstances 



