96 THE APPLE 



in the conservation of moisture during the summer. A further 

 requirement, in the case of poor soils or of old and feeble trees, 

 is that the cover crop be a leguminous one, so that it will add to 

 the store of nitrogen in the soil and thereby increase the vigor 

 of the trees. 



General management. If the orchard is plowed early in the 

 spring and worked up by frequent harrowing so that the surface is 

 as fine as possible, the crop will be ready to plant between July 1 5 

 and August 1 5 , according to the crop used and the location of 

 the orchard. A drill may be used in sowing, or the seed may be 

 broadcast by machinery or by hand. After the seed is sown, roll- 

 ing, followed by a light harrowing, will hasten germination, espe- 

 cially in the case of the smaller seed, which need not be sown so 

 deeply as the larger kinds. No more work on the soil is necessary 

 till spring, when the cover crop should be plowed under as soon as 

 the land can be worked, and clean cultivation be continued until 

 July or August, when another crop is sown. 



Management of a young orchard. A system of cover-crop 

 rotation in a young orchard has been used by the author with 

 marked success, and an account of it may prove of value to those 

 interested in the subject of cover crops by suggesting other rota- 

 tions or cropping systems. 



The first and second years the cover crop was rye ; the third 

 year medium clover was sown ; the fourth and fifth years rye ; the 

 sixth year medium clover ; the seventh year the crop of the pre- 

 vious year was left down ; the eighth year rye was sown ; the 

 ninth and tenth years medium clover ; the eleventh year vetch 

 and rye ; and the twelfth year buckwheat. The crops were sown 

 each year between July 1 5 and July 30. The amount of seed used 

 in each case was slightly more than that recommended for these 

 crops under field conditions : 



4 bu. rye per acre 

 30 lb. medium clover per acre 

 50 lb. vetch, 3 bu. rye, per acre 



2 bu. buckwheat per acre 



This system takes for granted that the land is in fair tilth and 

 not set up on too sharp an angle. Rye is recommended for a cover 



