6 4 



THE APPLE 



\ 



Fig. 23. Square system 



- first thinning 



Cut out alternate rows diagonally as indicated by dotted 

 lines. The trees now form a quincunx system 



should be set 40 feet 

 apart for the Hubbard- 

 ston and Mcintosh ; for 

 Greening and Baldwin 

 preferably 45 or 50 feet. 

 Standard apples of early- 

 bearing varieties, such as 

 the Wealthy or Wagener, 

 could then be set halfway 

 between the permanent 

 trees, formiag squares 

 half the size, in which 

 the larger trees represent 

 the permanent ones, the 

 smaller the fillers. In 

 thinning, the alternate 

 diagonal row should be 

 cut out first. This leaves 

 the tree in the center of 

 the square, which can 

 stand some years longer. 

 But the orchard in its 

 present condition is really on the quincunx plan. The central tree may be 

 removed by cutting out the alternate rows at right angles to the fence line. 

 By setting the permanent trees 45 feet or more apart, peach fillers could be 

 planted on the corners of 



squares 11 ft. 3 in. apart, Qk Qk C^ Cl 



dividing the original 

 squares into sixteen small 



ones, which could be 000 



gradually thinned to the 

 stages already given. 



The quincunx system 

 offers a better means of 

 using fillers. Fig. 27 rep- 

 resents the orchard with 

 permanent trees in quin- 

 cunx groups, and two sets 

 of fillers. Standard apple 

 fillers should be set half- 

 way between the per- 

 manent trees, forming 

 the corners of squares 

 running diagonally across 

 the field and of the same 

 size as the diagonal 



Fig. 24. Square system — second thinning 

 Remove alternate rows as indicated by dotted lines 



