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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



use of fillers is that nothing shall be 

 employed for the purpose which is more 

 vigorous in growth than the permanent 

 trees, and that the removal of fillers shall 

 he begun as soon as there is evidence of 

 crowding. 



Apple Trees the Best Fillers in an 

 Apple Orchard 



The best fillers in an apple orchard 

 are apple trees which are upright in habit 

 of growth and begin to bear at an early 

 age. Those of a spreading habit may be 

 used if precocious. The first class is ex- 

 amplified by the Yellow Transparent and 

 Wagener. which may be planted in the 

 rows, both ways between the permanent 

 trees. Oldenburg (Duchess) and Wealthy 

 may be used, with some caution, in the 

 same manner. Jonathan, Ben Davis and 

 Gano are suitable to plant in the centers 

 of the squares between the permanent 

 trees. 



W. J. Green, 

 Wooster. Ohio. 



Intercropping in New Mexico 



The mixing of apple and peach trees in 

 an orchard is sometimes advocated, but 

 in this climate it is not considered advis- 

 able. Whenever peaches are planted be- 

 tween apple trees it is done with the ex- 

 pectation of taking the peach trees out 

 whenever they become so large that they 

 interfere with the growth of the apple 

 trees. If this were done there would be 

 no objection whatever to this method of 

 planting orchards, but as a rule the idea 

 is never carried out and the result is that 

 the peach trees are never cut out until 

 they either die out or have injured the 

 apple trees by crowding them out. Very 

 frequently by the time the peach trees 

 are large enough to interfere with the 

 growth of the apple trees they are pro- 

 ducing their very best crops, and the or- 

 chardist has not the strong heart to go to 

 work and dig them out at that time. Tak- 

 ing everything into consideration peach 

 trees ought not to be planted among apple 

 trees. 



Fabian Garcia, 

 Santa !•>. N. M. 



HOW TO MAKE AN ORCHARD PAT 

 BEFORE IT COMES INTO BEARING 



By a. G. Craig 



Deer Park, Washington 

 It is very seldom that an apple orchard 

 will yield a crop large enough to net a 

 profit above the expense of the care and 

 harvesting before the orchard is six years 

 old. During these six years the orchard 

 is a constant drain on the finances of the 

 owner, and the interest on the original 

 investment for six years is a large item. 

 The average person starting into apple 

 growing has the above facts staring him 

 in the face, and this problem of how to 

 meet the expenses and at the same time 

 make a living for himself and family has 

 to be solved. The problem of improving 

 the soil or at least maintaining its fer- 

 tility must also be considered. 



The clean culture method has been ad- 

 vocated and extensively practiced in the 

 Northwest, but a large percentage of the 

 fruit growers now realize that it is ex- 

 pensive and the physical condition of the 

 soil becomes impaired in a few years. He 

 also knows: 



(1) That the roots of apple trees 

 spread very rapidly, but when not more 

 than eighty-five trees are planted to the 

 acre it takes several years for all of the 

 soil to be filled with apple roots. 



(2) That a good farmer improves his 

 soil and at the same time gets a good 

 profit out of it, and 



(31 That a field allowed to lie idle and 

 grow up to weeds and bushes for a period 

 of years deteriorates in value. 



With the above problems and facts be- 

 fore the grower, he seeks for the best 

 solutions. He says. Why not utilize the 

 land not occupied by trees by using the 

 methods of the good farmer who grows 

 crops and at the same time improves the 

 soil. He hesitates to try because so many 

 have not succeeded. The crops have not 

 been profitable on account of poor man- 

 agement. The trees have not made a 

 satisfactory growth Because they were de- 

 prived of moisture on account of poor 

 cultivation, poor irrigation or the sapping 

 of the moisture and food by the crops 

 planted too close to the trees. The soil 



