Use of Fillers 39 



not pack the surface, but rather let this soil lie loose and 

 prevent the water from evaporating. A dust mulch will 

 very effectively conserve the moisture in the soil for the 

 use of the tree. 



Use of Fillers 



The use of "fillers," or temporary trees, in an orchard 

 is not always to be recommended. Such trees can in many 

 instances serve a useful purpose, but they too often be- 

 come permanent. After they come into bearing the 



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Diagram of an orchard planted with "fillers." The black 

 spots represent the temporary trees. In the upper portion of 

 the diagram the fillers are in the centers of the squares, 

 making the "quincunx" system of planting. In the lower 

 rows the fillers are in the rows of permanent trees. 



owner always wants just one more crop from them before 

 they are removed. Years pass by in this way and the 

 orchard becomes so crowded that the yield from all the 

 trees is less than from what the permanent trees would be 

 if the fillers were out. 



When the kinds of trees to be used as fillers are careful- 

 ly selected and then removed at the right time they can be 

 made profitable. Peaches can sometimes be used as fillers 

 in an apple orchard, if the soil and climate are suitable. 



