The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-06-02
COVER CROPS FOR TREES
Crops That Should Not be Grown Between
Trees of Young Orchard


Prof. C. A. Cole, OF the Oregon Agri-
cultural college, writes in the Pacific
Homestead as follows on the subject of
growing crops in young orchards:
This question is often asked Is 1t
advisable to grow crops in a young
orchards7 This is question that is OF
vital importance to many small
orchardist. Also it is question that
many booster" clubs and real estate
men make much of in advertising their
sections or towns. Many tract OF
land is sold on the strength of the ad"
that a good living can be made between
the rows while the orchard is reaching
the bearing stage. This question is
of importance to the small orchardist
for the very reason that he has used up
all his spare cash in buying his land
and setting it to trees, and as a result
will have to make living while his trees
are reaching a profitable bearing age,
which, in most cases, means the first
six or seven years. In answer to the
above question, l will say that crops
can be grown, but the grower will have
to use a great deal OF discretion in Sc
lecting and planting the crops or he
will permanently injure his trees.
One OF the first things to do is to de-
termine just what crops should not be
grown. This is OF far greater import
ance to the welfare of the orchard than
to know of a few that may be grown.
Never SOW such crops as oats, wheat or
any crop that is to be used for hay.
You had just as we'll pull up your trees
if you are going to grow these crops.
They not only remove large amount
of plant food from the soil, but take
out large quantities of moisture. AS
there is no chance to stir the soil while
the crops are on the ground the mois-
ture that is not used up escapes through
the hard compact surface. By the
time the crops are harvested, and just
when the trees are most in need OF
moisture, the ground is perfectly dry.
Then, in conclusion to the above, we
may say: Never grow any crop in an
orchard that does not permit of thorough
cultivation.
There are some crops that may be grown
without seriously injuring the trees.
These are crops that can be cultivated.
However, there are some exceptions to
this rule. One of the most important
of these is: Never grow nursery stock
in your orchard. The very fact that
nurserymen do not follow nursery
crop with a similar one should be suf-
fcient warning Crops of this kind
demands the same kinds OF plant foods
that are being used by your permanent
trees, also this crop is dug at time Of
the year when the ground is not in the
best of condition for working, and the
soil is left in very poor state. Among
the cultivated crops that may be grown
are truck garden crops, corn, potatoes
and small fruits.
Corn is a crop that can be grown
successfully only in very limited re-
gion. t.has some very serious OBJ
iections as an orchard crop among
which is the fact that it is ravenous
feeder and tends to deprive the tree Of
its plant food and moisture. Many
growers in the southern part of the
state plant corn very extensively and
claim that good results are obtained as
the young trees are shaded by the corn
Just at the time the summer heat is
the most intense, also in case of a
grasshopper pest the insects feed on the
corn and do not bother the trees,
However, l have seen young orchards
seriously stunted by corn being planted
close up to the trees.
Truck crops are without doubt the
best crops to grow among young trees.
In order to get results from Vegetables
the ground is highly cultivated and in
many instances is left in much better
state after the crop is removed than it
was before. Crops OF the melon type
are very good, as the big spread Of
vines with their large leaves cover and
shade the ground, acting somewhat in
capacity Of a mulch.