FRUITS FOR THE HOME GROUNDS 



But in theory, at least, this arrangement of trees is the most 

 wasteful of land of the several arrangements. Figure 1 is a diagram 

 of trees planted at the corners of squares, and shows, on paper, 



what the theorists call the waste 

 9 9 9 land of the arrangement by 



squares. But a vigorous tree 



,p^ Q searching for sun and food and 



,--' "^--.^ moisture is no respecter of theory 



9*^ 9 9 and sends its branches and roots 



Q 1 Q quickly into the waste areas of 



I ^ sunlight and soil ! Certainly trees 



! are most conveniently cared for 



T-.^^ ,,'-V V -^rtien planted in squares. 



^"O' O The quincunx is 



The Qulncimx an arrangement 



Q Q> Q whereby five 



. „, , trees are used in a figure — four 



Fig. 2. Hexagonal planting. The trees , j • 4.U 



are equidistant in all directions, forming a at each corner and One in the 



series of equilateral triangles or a hexagon center of a Square. So planted, 

 with a tree in the center. . ^ '- 



nearly twice as many trees as 

 can be set in squares are put out, but there is just as much waste, 

 for, as may be seen by analyzing Figure 4, a number of connected 

 quincunxes form a series of squares running diagonally across the 

 orchard. As we shall see, the quincunx is usually used only when 

 the center tree is to be cut out when it begins to interfere with the 

 growth of the corner trees. 



The plan of setting in a six-sided figure, the hexagon. 

 The Hexagon looks best on paper. In this arrangement, as shown 



in Figure 2, all of the trees are the same distance 

 apart in any direction — distributed evenly over the ground. By 

 setting the trees the same distance apart, 15 per cent more trees are 

 used in this arrangement than when put at the corners of scjuares. 



Fillers are used in the scpuire arrangement bv plant- 

 ?la°t"g F'll^"^s ■ thg early-bearing sort halfwav between the 

 in the Several "= . .' \ v .■ n^i ' /> 



Fieures permanents m each direction. 1 hus, ureemng or 



Baldwin might be set 40 feet apart each way, with 

 Wealthy or Wagener 40 feet apart in one row and "20 feet apart in 

 the next, giving three times as many fillers as permanents. Figure 

 .3 shows this arrangement. Peaches, of course, might be used as 

 fillers. In thinning, the alternate diagonal row is usually cut out 



16 



