APPLES 
151 
@ = Permanent Trees Y= sem permanent Trees OO Fillert 
Plate I. 
of the trees with fillers Fig. 
The Rectangular Method of Laying Out an Orchard Fig 1 shows the arrangement 
‘ 2 shows the arrangement aiter the fillers have been 
removed, leaving just half the number of trees. 
This arrangement is sometimes called the 
quincunx system The tree in the center of each group of four 1s a semipermanent tree and 
may be removed later if necessary 
semipermanent trees have been removed. 
each group of four trees. 
tem is very suitable, for the fillers may 
be removed without affecting the arrange 
ment. As shown in Plate I, Fig. 1, the 
trees may be started say, 20 feet apart, 
giving 108 temporary and permanent 
trees to the acre. When they begin to 
crowd, the fillers or temporary trees, 
which compose the alternate diagonal 
rows, may be removed, leaving 54 trees 
to the acre, as shown in Plate I, Fig. 2. 
It may be seen that the trees are still in 
small squares (28.28x28.28 feet) running 
cornerwise of the orchard and in larger 
squares (40x40 feet), with a tree in the 
center, running across the field. These 
center trees may be called semi-perma- 
nent trees. They may either be the same 
as the fillers or the permanent trees, and 
if necessary may be removed later, leav- 
ing 27 trees to the acre, 40 feet apart 
each way.—Plate I, Fig. 3. To relieve 
the crowding, it is not usually necessary 
to remove all the fillers at once, and this 
system allows two thinnings without seri- 
ously affecting the arrangement. This 
system is not so well adapted to orchards 
without fillers as either of the other sys- 
tems. 
In the quincunz system the trees are 
arranged in squares with a tree in the 
center. It is the same in arrangement as 
the rectangular system partially thinned, 
as shown in Plate I, Fig. 2. The extra 
Fig 8 shows the final arrangement after fillers and 
Observe the large, open space in the center of 
tree in the center of the groups allows 
twice as many trees to the acre as the 
straight rectangular system, and the trees 
are more evenly spaced. It is also suited 
to filler planting, for the trees in the cen- 
ters of the squares may be removed at 
any time, leaving the trees in larger 
squares.—Plate I, Fig. 3. Where fillers 
are used the rectangular and quincunx 
systems are very similar, for one is read- 
ily changed to the other by the process 
of thinning. For use in orchards with- 
out fillers the latter system is preferable, 
but neither of them is as suitable for 
this purpose as the next system to be 
described. 
For Permanent Orchard 
The hexagonal system gets its name 
from the fact that the trees are arranged 
in hexagonal or six-sided groups, with a 
tree in the center, as shown in Plate IT, 
Figs. 2 and 3. The space between each 
group of four trees is diamond-shaped. 
The advantange of this system is that all 
the trees are equidistant, giving equal 
distribution of air, light and soil. It is 
undoubtedly the best system if the trees 
are set so far apart that the orchard 
will never require thinning. On account 
of the equal distribution, more trees may 
be planted to the acre than by any other 
system. It is not so well adapted to filler 
planting as either the rectangle or quin- 
