Intercropping

The question of intercropping a young orchard is one

to be carefully considered. As it is often practiced it is very

injurious to the orchard, but it is possible to manage crops so as to

be of very little harm to the trees. While the practice may be

inadvisable in many commercial orchards, yet on a general farm we

should by all means think that it was the right thing to do. Certain

facts must be remembered, however, which have a bearing on the

subject.



Trees are a crop, as much as corn or grass. If we grow a crop between

the tree rows we must remember that we are double cropping the land

and that it must be fed and cared for accordingly. There is absolutely

no use in setting an apple orchard, expecting it to take care of

itself, "just growing," like Topsy, as numerous dilapidated and broken

down orchards bear ample testimony. If orchards are to be cropped

this must be judiciously done with the trees primarily in mind.



The best crops to grow in a young apple orchard are those requiring

cultivation, or which permit the cultivation of the land early in the

season. Field beans, potatoes, and garden truck of all kinds, as small

vegetables, melons, etc., are among the very best crops to grow in the

young orchard. Corn will do if it does not shade the trees too much.

Small grain and grass should not be used, especially where they come

up close to the trees. These crops form too stiff a sod and use up too

much moisture. A mulch of straw, cut grass, or coarse manure will help

to correct this condition somewhat when these crops must be used.

After cultivation until midsummer buckwheat makes a satisfactory

orchard crop in some cases.



A regular rotation may be used in the young orchard to advantage when

a space is left next the trees to receive cultivation. This space

should be at least two feet on each side of the tree the first year

and should be widened each year as the tree grows older and larger, to

four, six, and eight feet. This method has been used by the author

very successfully for a number of years. Some good rotations to use

in a growing orchard are: (1) Wheat or rye one year, clover one year,

beans or potatoes one year; (2) oats one year, clover one year,

potatoes one year; (3) beans one year, rye plowed under in spring,

followed by any cultivated crop one or two years. The essentials of a

good rotation for an orchard are: A humus and fertility supplying

crop, preferably clover, in the north, and cow peas in the south, and

at least two crops in four requiring cultivation up to the middle of

the summer.



Most of the points regarding the management of young trees have

already been mentioned, but a few others should have attention

directed to them. Fall planted trees should not be cut back until

spring. In the spring all newly planted trees should have their tops

cut back rather severely to correspond with the injury to the roots in

transplanting, thus preserving the balance between root and top. This

will usually be about half to two-thirds the previous season's growth.

From three to five well distributed branches should be left with which

to form the top. During the first few years of their lives the young

apple trees will need little or no pruning, except to shape them and

remove crossing or interfering branches.



Constant cultivation at frequent intervals until midsummer should be

the rule with young growing trees, with which this is even more

important than with older trees. It is a good plan to plow the orchard

in fall where possible, always turning the furrows toward the trees,

leaving the dead furrows as drainage ditches between the rows. At

Beechwood Farm we have always banked the trees with earth in the fall,

using a shovel. This not only firms the soil about the tree, holding

it straight and strong through the winter, but it affords good

protection against rodents, especially mice. Where rabbits are

prevalent it is well to place a fine mesh wire netting around the

trees in addition to this.