144 POMOLOGY 



ing it and thus utilizing more fully the land not yet occupied 

 by the trees. The system of alternate-row cultivation is in use 

 in some regions and involves the tillage and perhaps cropping 

 of every other " land " or area between alternate rows of trees. 



126. Sod culture. — In the first half or perhaps three- 

 quarters of the nineteenth century, the prevailing prac- 

 tice in this country was to grow fruit-trees in sod land 

 and along fence-rows; especially was this true of the apple. 

 This was before the western orchard sections had come into 

 existence and before the rise of commercial orchard mg in 

 the East. In the last quarter of the past century, the culti- 

 vation of orchards, wherever possible, was advocated by 

 the progressive growers. Both experiment and experience 

 in this country prove that sod culture is the poorest way of 

 handling an orchard, although there are some outstanding 

 cases to the contrary.^ 



The chief objection to the sod system is that, on the 

 average, fruit-trees do not thrive so well as when they are 

 at least partially cultivated, as is shown by the growth of 

 trees, color, size, and amount of foliage, and yield of fruit. 

 This objection may be entirely or partially overcome, how- 

 ever, by proper fertilization and mulching with litter. The 

 reasons for these effects on the trees are discussed later. 



On the other hand, certain advantages of growing trees 

 in grass land may be cited as follows: 



1. It prevents the >vashing and erosion of the soil. This 

 is not so true in New England and other northern sections, 

 because the ground is likely to be frozen during the so-called 

 "soft " weather in winter or early spring that occurs farther 

 south. 



1 The student should not confuse sod culture and grass mulch, for they 

 are distinct systems if properly carried out, although it is not uncom- 

 mon to find a mulch system soon degenerate into a sod culture, and thus 

 they may be confusing. 



