APPLES 



151 



'liifp I. The Rectangular Methfid at' Laying Out an (tn-hard. Fig. 1 shows the arrangement 

 uf the trees with tillers. Fig. '1 shows the arrangement after the fillers have been 

 removed, leaving just half the number o£ trees. This arrangement is sometimes oalled the 

 quincunx svstem. The tree in the center of each group of four is a semipermanent tree and 

 may be removed later If necessary. Fig. 3 shows the final arrangement after tillers and 

 semipermanent trees have been removed. Observe the large, open space in the center of 

 each group of four trees. 



teni is very suitable, for the fillers may 

 be removed without affecting the arrange- 

 ment. As shown in Plate I, Fig. 1. the 

 trees may be started say, 20 feet apart, 

 giving 108 temporary and permanent 

 trees to the acre. When they begin to 

 crowd, the fillers or temporary trees, 

 which compose the alternate diagonal 

 rows, may be removed, leaving 54 trees 

 to the acre, as shown in Plate I, Fig. 2. 

 It may be seen that the trees are still in 

 small squares (28.28x28.28 feet) running 

 cornerwise of the orchard and in larger 

 squares (40x40 feet), with a tree in the 

 center, running across the field. These 

 center trees may be called semi-perma- 

 nent trees. They may either be the same 

 as the fillers or the permanent trees, and 

 if necessary may be removed later, leav- 

 ing 27 trees to the acre, 40 feet apart 

 each way. — Plate I, Fig. 3. To relieve 

 the crowding, it is not usually necessary 

 to remove all the fillers at once, and this 

 system allows two thinnings without seri- 

 ously affecting the arrangement. This 

 system is not so well adapted to orchards 

 without fillers as either of the other sys- 

 tems. 



In the guincunx system the trees are 

 arranged in squares with a tree in the 

 center. It is the same in arrangement as 

 the rectangular system partially thinned, 

 as shown in Plate I, Fig. 2. The extra 



tree in the center of the groups allows 

 twice as many trees to the acre as the 

 straight rectangular system, and the trees 

 are more evenly spaced. It is also suited 

 to filler planting, for the trees in the cen- 

 ters of the squares may be removed at 

 any time, leaving .the trees in larger 

 squares. — Plate I, Fig. 3. Where fillers 

 are used the rectangular and quincunx 

 systems are very similar, for one is read- 

 ily changed to the other by the process 

 of thinning. For use in orchards with- 

 out fillers the latter system is preferable, 

 but neither of them is as suitable for 

 this purpose as the next system to be 

 described. 



For Permanent Orchard 

 The hexagonal system gets its name 

 from the fact that the trees are arranged- 

 in hexagonal or six-sided groups, with a 

 tree in the center, as shown in Plate II, 

 Figs. 2 and 3. The space between each 

 group of four trees is diamond-shaped. 

 The advantange of this system is that all 

 the trees are equidistant, giving equal 

 distribution of air, light and soil. It is 

 undoubtedly the best system if the trees 

 are set so far apart that the orchard 

 will never require thinning. On account 

 of the equal distribution, more trees may 

 be planted to the acre than by any other 

 system. It is not so well adapted to filler 

 planting as either the rectangle or quin- 



