Practical Orcharding On Rough Lands. 1 67 



berries, etc., which have met with hearty ap- 

 proval. Hoed crops are always advantageous 

 to the development of the trees in their early 

 years, as they insure good tillage. Care should 

 be taken not to promote too late a growth by 

 too long a season of cultivation, or a second 

 growth may be started causing great damage 

 as described under the head of "Growing 

 Plants to Check the Growth of Other Plants." 

 Blackberries and raspberries have not proven 

 satisfactory crops to be grown in the apple or- 

 chard for various reasons, of which their habit 

 of suckering or sprouting was by no means the 

 least. 



Summer Cover Crops.— The importance of 

 cover crops can hardly be realized until one 

 has experienced the use of them, as has been 

 suggested (under discussion of Humus.) Cow 

 peas have been the most valuable, with the 

 soy beans as close second. The clovers fill an 

 important place. Whatever is used, be it 

 cow peas or clover, it will be found best to 

 leave them upon the ground in the form of 

 mulch. Either clip and allow to lie where it 

 falls, or it may be placed around the trees. 

 At any rate, it should not be pastured, with 

 even hogs or sheep, as they are liable to do 

 the trees more injury than the pasturing is 



