APPLES 



263 



Fruit Trees as Fillers 



The ideal filler is a quick-growing and 

 early maturing tree that will produce the 

 maximum amount of fruit within the few 

 years that it has to live, and one that 

 will least affect the welfare of the perma- 

 nent trees. As soon as the fillers begin 

 to interfere with the natural grow-th of 

 the permanent trees, they must be re- 

 moved. There is a difference of opinion 

 w'ith regard to the use of fillers. The 

 chief objection raised by those opposed 

 to the practice, is that the fillers are likely 

 to be left too long, resulting in injury to 

 the permanent trees. Such a result, in 

 reality, would be the fault of the man 

 rather than that of the system. The grow- 

 er, for the benefit of the remaining por- 

 tion of the trees, cuts out superfluous 

 branches, so why should he hesitate to 

 remove superfluous trees when by so do- 

 ing the remaining trees will be benefited? 

 In either case it is simply a case of re- 

 moving part of his fruit-bearing structure 

 for the sake of getting better returns in 

 the future. It should be remembered in 

 this connection that the fruit is borne 

 largely on the surface of the tree, and 

 that when the tree becomes crowded to- 

 gether the surface is very greatly re- 

 duced. Assuming that the grower knows 

 when fillers should be removed and that 

 he has the courage to remove them, the 

 question to be decided is whether it is 

 more profitable to use fillers or to use the 

 space between the rows for growing veg- 

 etables, small fruits, or other crops. 



In Connecticut the peach is more large- 

 ly used for interplanting than any other 

 kind of fruit tree. In many respects the 

 peach is well suited to the purpose. It 

 matures early and fair crops are often 

 obtained three or four years after plant- 

 ing. The objection to this kind of filler is 

 that the treatment for bearing peach trees 

 is somewhat different from that demanded 

 by young, growing apple trees. If the ap- 

 ple trees should suffer from this cause it 

 is again the fault of the man. The grower 

 should keep in mind that in such case of 

 mixed planting, the apple is entitled to 

 first consideration and the filler should 

 be regarded strictly as a secondary mat- 

 ter. Plums and cherries are open to the 



same objection raised against the peach, 

 but it is probable that any of these stone 

 fruits in the hands of the intelligent fruit 

 grower may be successfully used as fillers. 



The use of early maturing varieties of 

 apples as fillers has been strongly recom- 

 mended during recent years. The apple 

 makes a slower growth than the peach and 

 returns come in much more slowly. This 

 objection is offset however, by the fact 

 that the apple filler may be retained in the 

 orchard much longer and a great many 

 more crops secured. Five or six and often 

 as many as ten crops of apples may be 

 secured, while it is seldom that more than 

 two or three crops can be taken from 

 peach fillers without injuring the perma- 

 nent trees. The profit from two crops of 

 peaches is very likely to exceed that from 

 the many apple crops, but it is not fair to 

 judge their relative value from this stand- 

 point only. The apple fillers may have a 

 better influence on the permanent trees 

 and, on account of their slower develop- 

 ment, may permit the growth of other 

 crops between the rows for several years. 

 The apple filler is more satisfactory where 

 the permanent trees are widely spaced 

 and it is entirely unsuited to closely 

 planted orchards. 



The small growing and early maturing 

 varieties such as Yellow Transparent. 

 Oldenburg, Bismarck, Wealthy, Wagener, 

 Ontario and Missouri Pippin, are the most 

 suited to use as fillers. Jonathan may also 

 prove to be desirable for this purpose. 

 Ben Davis and Gano are largely used as 

 fillers in some sections, but on account of 

 their inferior quality, they are not recom- 

 mended for planting in New England. 

 There is little difference among the va- 

 rieties of peaches for this purpose. The 

 pear, on account of its susceptibility to 

 blight under intense cultivation, is not 

 suited to interplanting. 



Many fruit growers have the necessary 

 intelligence and courage to handle suc- 

 cessfully an orchard on the filler system. 

 But there are undoubtedly some, who for 

 the sake of earlier returns, are likely to 

 favor the fillers at the expense of the 

 permanent trees and for the sake of get- 

 ting one or two additional crops, are likely 

 to injure seriously the shape of the trees 



