262 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



bear a small crop. This, together with 

 the vegetables, should bring good returns. 



Fifth Tear 



This year the peaches should yield 

 large returns and the pears begin to pay. 

 There will also be a few apples, say $1.50 

 per tree. At this rate, 400 trees should 

 bring $600. There will also be an income 

 from the vegetables. However, the peach 

 tree grows with spreading branches and 

 will begin to intrude upon the straw- 

 berries and vegetables, yet at this time 

 we would not sacrifice the vegetables, but 

 prune the peach trees so as not to inter- 

 fere too much with them. 



Sixth Tear 



From this time forward peaches, pears 

 and apples will yield good returns and the 

 question of sacrificing the vegetables may 

 well be considered. There is income 

 enough without them, but if they still 

 prove profitable, the grower will hesitate. 

 Some people say that vegetables should 

 not be grown among the trees because 

 the trees need the soil's substance. This 

 is true if the ground is not manured; but 

 if the vegetable matter taken off the land 

 is replaced by an equal or greater amount 

 of barnyard manure, it improves rather 

 than impoverishes the soil. 



From this time on, the grower has a 

 comfortable income that should net him 

 not less than $500 per acre per annum, 

 and he can cut out his vegetables and 

 fillers when it seems wise to do so. 



After the vegetables are disposed of 

 and the land well manured, then some 

 kind of cover crop should be grown 

 among the trees. 



GR-iXVILLE LOWTHER 



Plan for Eastern States 



In newly planted orchards the trees oc- 

 cupy a very small portion of the ground, 

 and as a rule some other kind of a crop 

 is grown in the open space. The amount 

 of space at the disposal of other crops 

 will depend somewhat upon the kind of 

 filler chosen. 



If peaches are used as fillers the ground 

 should not be cropped for more than one 

 or two seasons. Some reputable growers 

 do not believe in attempting to grow any 



other crop, except cover crops, when 

 peaches are used as fillers. At least one 

 grower in Connecticut has had excellent 

 results from growing turnips, another has 

 found late cabbage profitable. In some 

 cases the spaces between the trees are 

 planted to small fruits — strawberries, 

 raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries 

 and currants. Where no fillers are used 

 the small fruits are very suitable. With 

 apple fillers strawberries may be success- 

 fully grown, but the bush fruits, if used, 

 are likely to be left in too long. 



The best kind of a crop for this purpose 

 is one that will require cultivation the 

 early part of the season and will be out 

 of the way in time for the sowing of a 

 cover crop. Crops of this nature are 

 early cabbage, early cauliflower, early po- 

 tatoes, beans, peas and radishes. Next to 

 this is one that will require cultivation 

 the early part of the season but will not 

 necessitate the disturbing of the soil late 

 in the season. Late cabbage, squash, tur- 

 nips, cucumbers and melons are of this 

 class. A cover crop may be sown when 

 such interplanted crops are last culti- 

 vated. Late potatoes are not suited to 

 the purpose, for the reason that in digging 

 them the soil is much disturbed, produc- 

 ing a late growth and preventing the trees 

 from properly ripening their wood. Corn 

 has been grown in this way but usually 

 has a bad effect upon the trees. It may 

 be used without fear of injury if a wide 

 space is left and kept cultivated along 

 the rows of trees. The whole may be 

 seeded to clover about July 15th, or at the 

 last cultivation of the corn. 



Whatever is grown in the orchard it 

 should be looked upon as a catch-crop, 

 and the returns from it as incidental. On 

 the other hand, these companion crops, 

 with careful management, may be made 

 to pay for the care of an apple orchard 

 up to the age of profitable production. An 

 extra supply of fertilizer always should 

 be applied for the use of these supple- 

 mentary crops and the greatest care exer- 

 cised in preventing them from interfer- 

 ing with the growth of the trees. From 

 year to year the space for the use of the 

 trees should be increased until finally it 

 is given up entirely. 



