ORCHARD CARE 137 



these species may have a spread of nearly that range 

 while they are still in vigorous bearing, and we know 

 that the roots of nut trees do much of their feeding 

 from hunting grounds far outside of the circle of 

 branches. A Persian walnut tree on the Milbank 

 property at Greenwich, Connecticut, only fifty years 

 of age at the present writing, has a spread of seventy 

 feet, and more to go. The black walnut and pecan 

 may even exceed that spread at the same age. We 

 are all young at fifty. Shagbarks, while having less 

 extensive range of branch, may have a remarkably 

 ambitious lot of roots which go in search of water 

 and nitrogen a long way from home. On that ac- 

 count a good deal of care must be exercised when 

 planning to put in fillers for the purpose of inter- 

 cropping. 



The economics of the question would find parallel 

 in a community in which people are to live upon 

 the products of the surrounding country so long as 

 such products are free for all. After that time the 

 people of the community would depend upon stealing 

 from each other. It is good business for the nut 

 orchardist to arrange his village of trees in such a 

 way that the inhabitants of the village shall not be 

 obliged to steal from each other in order to be 

 prosperous. 



In the southern states various annual plants are 

 used for intercropping young pecan plantations, but 

 the author's preference would be for hazels and 

 hybrid chestnuts in order to consistently hold fast 

 to the nut tree idea. These small pawns may be cut 



