APPLE-ORCHARD CULTURE 



425 



potassium, and lime may all have to be added on some soils to 

 get a good growth of cover crops. Inoculation may be re- 

 quired for the leguminous crops. 



The first year that cover crops are sown early they may 

 reduce the soil moisture content to such an extent, especially 

 in a dry season, as to affect the size of the developing fruit. 

 The following year and thereafter, however, the soil moisture 

 content will usually be so much higher because of the organic 

 matter turned under previously that the growth of the cover 

 crops will probably not affect the growth of the fruit adversely, 

 except under unusual drought conditions. 



Rate of Seeding, Following are suggested amounts of seed 

 to use per acre in seeding the orchard cover crops. 



It is often advisable to use mixtures of the above cover 

 crops, reducing somewhat the quantity of seed of each kind. 



Amount of Seed 



Legumes to Use per Acre 



Crimson clover. 15 to 20 pounds 



Red clover 12 to 15 pounds 



Alsike clover 6 pounds 



Winter vetch 3^ to 1 bushel 



Cow peas IJ^ to 2 bushels 



Soy beans . . ; 1 to 1 3^ bushels 



NoN-LEGUMES 



Rye, oats, or barley 13^ to 2 bushels 



Buckwheat 1 bushel 



Millet 25 to 40 pounds 



Rape or cowhom turnips 2 to 4 pounds 



Thus in many orchards, a mixture of 10 to 15 pounds of winter 

 vetch and 1 to 1^4 bushels of rye makes a most excellent cover 

 crop. 



(c) Determine Costs of Soil Management. Cost of orchard 

 soil management depends upon the size of the orchard, the 

 type of equipment used, and the kind of soil management 

 practiced. If an orchard is kept under clean cultivation, it 

 must be either disk-harrowed or plowed and kept in proper 

 condition by later harrowings. A sod orchard or one in which 



