118 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



October, 1910 



should be left out for a street at convenient 

 intervals throughout the orchard. 



SUMMARY 



The square system of planting an orchard 

 is the most wasteful of space, accommodating 

 the smallest number of trees per acre, but 

 by planting with fillers may be thinned first 

 to a quincunx form, and later to squares 

 twice the size of those when first planted, 

 thus allowing a gradual transition from close 

 planting to trees far apart. It is perhaps 

 the easiest of all systems to cultivate. 



The quincunx group allows about double 

 the number of trees per acre that the square 

 of the same size accommodates. But these 

 figures are misleading, for the real distance 

 of the trees is shown by the figures in paren- 

 theses in the table, which is the size of the 

 squares running diagonally across the field. 

 (See fig. 12.) Comparing the number of 

 trees per acre of the quincunx system with 

 the number of trees according to the hex- 

 agonal system, using this latter figure as the 

 correct distance, it is clearly evident that the 

 hexagonal system stands in the lead. More- 

 over, the great advantage in the hexagonal 

 system is that each tree has a chance to de- 

 velop equally in all directions, and has an 

 equal exposure to light and air. The one 

 disadvantage is that there is no good system 

 of thinning fillers gradually; but the large 

 number of trees which may be used as fillers 

 sufficiently pay for the extra space caused for 

 a few years by doubling the distance between 

 trees in removing fillers. It is an especially 

 good system for intensive methods of culture 

 and can be easily cultivated. 



The location and site of the orchard, the 

 available capital and training of the orchard- 

 ist, as well as economy of space in planting, 

 and perfect development of the tree should 

 be considered in choosing the planting sys- 

 tem. In commercial fruit districts, where the 

 land is very expensive, it will be of advan- 

 tage to use the hexagonal system, with very 

 intensive culture. On the other hand, the 

 problem of the abandoned farm with poor 

 land on hillsides where cultivation is diffi- 

 cult would be better solved by using the 

 square system. 



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Square system. Fig. 7 — Permanent trees and fillers ; Fig. 8 — Dotted lines show alternate rows thinned 



out to quincunx plan ; Fig. 9 — Second thinning, remaining fillers (dotted lines) removed 



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Quincunx system. Fig. 10 — Permanent trees, standard apple and peach fillers; Fig. 11 — Dotted lines 

 showr peach fillers removed; Fig. 12 — Removal of apple fillers similarly indicated 



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Hexagonal system. Fig. 13 — Permanent trees and fillers; Fig. 

 14 — Thinning by cutting alternate rows diagonally (dotted lines) ; 

 Fig. 15 — Intensive use of fillers. Large black dots, permanent 

 trees; medium, apple fillers; small, berries, etc. Large circles, peach 

 fillers ; small, extra peach fillers 







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Real Facts about the Problem of Fall Planting vs. Spring Planting 



A SYMPOSIUM OF ACTUAL EXPERIENCES BY EXPERT PLANTERS IN WIDELY SEPARATED SECTIONS SHOWING 

 THAT THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS ARE PECULIAR TO THIS INDIVIDUAL CASE -NO POSITIVE AGREEMENT, BUT A 

 MASS OF PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS THAT WILL HELP THE AMATEUR TO SOLVE HIS OWN PECULIAR PROBLEM 



[Editor's Note. — It is idle to expect that the question of whether it is better to plant trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in the 

 fall than in the spring will ever be settled by unanimous verdict. Even in the same community, men may argue until doomsday 

 without arriving at unanimity of opinion. As for the country at large, no one rule could hold good anyway; there are too many marked 

 differences of climatic and other conditions, even in the limited area covered by these letters — Connecticut westward to the Dakotas, and 

 Illinois southward to Georgia. 



In the circumstances these letters can only be taken as a group of opinions based on personal experiences and inevitably reducible to 

 the fact that every planter must develop into his own court of last resort. By experiment, he must learn what is best suited to the needs of his 

 particular case. 



The letters are, nevertheless, of distinct value, each for its own general, as well as particular, locality. They are thoroughly practical 

 and informative, and if they cannot settle definitely the puzzling question for each hesitating individual, they, at least, make clear the road 

 for sane experimentation and enable him to avoid some pretty dangerous pitfalls. 



Of the writers quoted, fewer come out openly in favor of spring than of fall. As already suggested, however, this means no more, in 



4 



