242 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



secure very good results with more than one type of 

 effort upon the same piece of land. 



Van Deman* writes the following upon this sub- 

 ject: "For a number of years, the trees will neces- 

 sarily have much more space than they really need, 

 if planted the distance apart that they will require 

 when grown to full bearing age. Not only will there 

 be wide spaces between their tops, but much of the 

 soil will be unoccupied by their roots. Therefore, 

 some plan for using this space without in any way 

 hindering the proper growth of the trees, is permis- 

 sible, economical and desirable. Many plant peach 

 trees among their apple trees to fill the spaces until 

 the apple trees get old enough to need all the room. 

 I have done so myself, but do not like it now. The 

 peach trees are of quicker growth, and rob the apple 

 trees to a damaging degree, in many cases. Dwarf 

 pears are occasionally set in apple or standard pear 

 orchards, but this is generally a mistake, because the 

 trees often need very different culture, especially 

 when the pear trees blight badly from too rapid 

 growth. Moreover, if the dwarf pear trees are 

 planted deep, they send out pear roots above the 

 quince stocks, and become almost as long-lived as 

 the other trees. The wiser plan is, usually, to plant 

 apples, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, apricots, etc., 

 by themselves, but to fill up the spaces until the 

 permanent trees need the whole, plant varieties of 



*H. E. Van Deman, "Plans for Orchard Planting," Rural New-Yorker, 

 March 6, 1897. 



