Fruit Cultivation 207 



thirty to forty-five feet of space between them each 

 way. It takes, however, ten or twelve years after 

 the trees are set before all of this space is needed. 

 A system of "fillers," or inter-planting, has come 

 into use as a result of this, which will give at least 

 one hundred per cent, more fruit for the first ten 

 years. Small-growing standards, standard varieties 

 on dwarf stock, and also peaches, are used for this 

 purpose in commercial orchards. But the principle 

 may be applied with equally good results to the 

 home orchard, or even to the planting of a few scat- 

 tered trees. The standard dwarfs give good satisfac- 

 tion as permanent fillers. Where space is very lim- 

 ited, or the fruit must go into the garden, they may 

 be used in place of the standard sorts altogether. 

 The dwarf trees are, as a rule, not so long-lived as 

 the standards, and to do their best, need more care 

 in fertilizing and manuring; but the fruit is just as 

 good ; just as much, or more, can be grown on the 

 same area; and the trees come into bearing two to 

 three years sooner. They cost less to begin with 

 and are also easier to care for, in spraying and 

 pruning and in picking the fruit. 



CULTIVATION 



The home orcnard, to give the very finest quality 

 of fruit, must be given careful and thorough culti- 

 vation. In the case of scattered trees, where it is 



