12 
WOLFE'S PECAN NURSERY 
COVER CROPS AND CULTIVATION 
Probably the most important orcharding practice is the growing of nitrogen 
cover crops. The fertility of no orchard can be maintained by clean cultivation except 
where humus is brought from other sources, which in most cases is economically 
unsound as a permanent orchard practice. Most soils, especially the upland soils, 
should have an application of barnyard manure around tree each winter for the 
first few years. Perhaps the next most important practice is the breaking of the 
soil to a depth of six to eight inches and disking up well before planting. In a bear¬ 
ing orchard and in space left for the young orchard (which should be six feet on 
each side of tree row for first two years and widened as tree gets larger) cover 
crops should be planted in October or November or the first warm spell in Feb¬ 
ruary and disked into the soil the latter part of May before rainy season is over. 
Under irrigation, this can be done at any period desired. Disk or plow real shallow 
every 14 to 21 days during summer. It is not best to plow' land more than three 
inches deep during growing season, for roots are growing near the surface during 
this season and only the top layer of soil should be disturbed. The land can be 
turned during the late fall. 
W O L F E ’ S 
PECAN 
NURSERY 
Winter Cover Crops 
1. Sour Clover (Mellilotus indica) 
2. Austrian Winter Peas 
Summer Cover Crops 
1. Sw T eet Clover (Melilotus alba) 
2. Alfalfa. This is recommended only 
w'hen it is disked into soil each fall. 
Only winter cover crops are recom¬ 
mended for belts depending upon rainfall. 
Send for Bulletin 111, Texas Dept, of 
Agriculture, Austin, Texas. 
BURKETT NUTS 
