28 Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



31. Cropping orchards. If the trees of the orchard are 

 planted at the proper distance apart, their roots will not 

 nse the whole area for forage the first few years after plant- 

 ing. The unused portion may, therefore, be devoted to 

 such other crops as tend to improve, or at least which do 

 not injure, the physical condition of the soil, provided suffi- 

 cient plant food is added to maintain fertility. The more 

 the land inclines to drought, the less should it be cropped. 

 An area at least six feet across should be left unplanted 

 about each tree the season following the tree planting, and 

 this area should be considerably extended each subsequent 

 year, for the roots of fruit trees spread rapidly. When the 

 orchard begins to fruit well, further cropping should be 

 discontinued, as a rule. In general, only low-growing, 

 annual crops, that demand good tillage but not high ma- 

 nuring, and are harvested early, should be grown in the or- 

 chard. One or two rows of strawberries or other small 

 fruits, planted between each two rows of trees the same 

 season the trees are planted, may be admissible, but as a 

 rule, early potatoes, beets, carrots or peas would be prefer- 

 able. Grain and hay crops extract too much fertility and 

 moisture. Sod in the orchard is especiall}^ objectionable, 

 as it promotes drouth and favors insects. 



Over-vigorous and tardy-fruiting young apple and pear 

 orchards may sometimes be rendered fruitful by seeding the 

 land to grass, but the sod should not be permitted to re- 

 main until the trees become unduly checked. In case of 

 such seeding, it is much better to pasture the orchard than 

 to remove a crop of hay. 



32. The kind of tillage practiced should deppnd upon 

 conditions. Young orchards, in which the ground was 

 not in the best mechanical condition when planted, are 



