Fig? fig. 2 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
Swen 
Fig 3 
Os Permanent Trees oxfillers 
Plate II. 
marking off the field. Fig. 
of each group cf four permanent trees, 
The Hexagonal Method of Laying Out an Orchard. 
2 shows the arrangement of the trees with a filler in the center 
Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the trees after 
Wig. 1 shows the method of 
the fillers have been removed. Observe that the trees are equidistant from each other and 
that there is but a small, open space in the center of each group of three trees. 
cunx systems. Where the trees are set 
sufficiently far apart, say 36 feet, an extra 
tree may be set in the center of each 
diamond, as shown in Plate II, Fig. 2. 
This would place the.tree rows 30 feet 
apart, and 18 feet apart in the row. As 
a result the trees would be arranged in 
rectangles, 18x30 feet, giving them plenty 
of room one way, but making them some- 
what close the other way. Trees planted 
in this way may be retained longer than 
when they are planted but 18 feet apart. 
Following this method, 80 trees to the 
acre may be set, half of which would be 
fillers. If fillers are used in this way, it 
would be advisable | to have the closer 
planted rows run east and west to ad- 
mit more sunlight between the trees. If 
the distance between the permanent 
trees is increased, say to 42 feet, a filler 
may be placed between each pair of per- 
manent trees in every dirction. — This 
would retain the hexagonal arrangement, 
but the hexagons would be only half the. 
size of those formed by the permanent 
With such an arrangement there — 
would be four times more fillers than 
trees. 
permanent trees. When the trees com- 
mence to crowd the thinning may be done 
bv removing every alternate Tow aCTOSS 
the field, leaving the fillers in the cen- 
ter of the diamond a few years longer. 
While the rectangular. system seems to be 
better ‘suited to filler r planting, the ‘era. 
_ is on irregular and uneven land. 
venience in cultivation, and also for the 
sake of appearance, the trees should be 
gonal method undoubtedly gives the best 
distribution of the trees after the fillers 
are eventually removed. 
Setting the Stakes 
The determination of the correct posi- 
tion of the trees is often one of the most 
dificult tasks in connection with the start- 
ing of young orchards. The problem is 
a more serious one when large areas are 
considered and when the location selected 
For con- 
set in such a way that they will be in 
line in all directions. With this in mind 
it is usually advisable to indicate the po- 
Sition of each tree by a stake, and to lay 
out the whole field before setting the trees. 
In ‘square or rectangular fields the 
stakes for a row of trees on all sides of 
the orchards may be set by measuring 
- the distance into spaces of the required 
length; for example, if the trees are to 
be set 40 feet apart each way on the square 
method, the stakes are placed every 40 
feet on all sides of the field. The posi- 
tion of the intervening trees may be 
readily determined by sighting between 
‘the stakes on the opposite sides. 
. On small 
areas the land may be marked off with 
a line connecting the opposite stakes, in 
both directions. The point of intersec- 
tion of these lines indicates the position 
