74 



CROPPING THE ORCHARD 



quire good culture and fertilizing if they are to be profitable, 

 which makes them acceptable to the young trees. They do not 

 spread, which makes them at least less objectionable than some 

 other crops. 



10. Strawberries. For young orchards, where there is still 

 plenty of room, these are not bad (Fig. 33). But they tie up the 

 land for two years at least, and with many growers much longer 

 than that. They can not be cross-cultivated, so that the tree 



Fio. 33. Strawberries in a young peach orchard. They make a fairly good crop for 

 very young orchards, but interfere with cross-cultivation, as they occupy the land at least 

 two years. 



rows are apt to become foul with weeds and the trees to show 

 the lack of thorough cultivation by the second year. If the 

 beds are held for more than one crop of berries, the damage to 

 the trees is very markedly increased. Personally the writer 

 would not use strawberries except during the first and second 

 years of the orchard and even then there are many other crops 

 to be preferred. A great point in favor of strawberries is the 

 fact that they generally pay well. This is something that will be 

 appreciated by the man who tries to develop a good sized orchard 



