Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-05-09
Cover Crops.
(B. 8. Brown, Professor Of Horticulture. In
Tarmera, Weak.l

(B. 8. Brown, Professor Of Horticulture In
| Tarmers' Week.
Every we'll cared for orchard In the
state of Maine should include In its man
agement the use Of cover crops. These
consist Of crops which may be sown In
the fall or late summer among the trees.
which remain on the ground through
the winter and are plowed under In the
spring. The practice Of growing cover
crops In the orchard is not q new one
and can well be given greater consider.
alton among the fruit growers Of Maine.
Cover crops have NO particular place
Id orchards that are left In sod or posi-.
bly, plowed in the spring, narrowed
once or twice and left to grow up with
grass and weeds. Neither have they any
place In the management of orchards
where the mulch system is In use but
are. especially adapted to methods Of
clean culture. -
Cover crops have q number OF things
to recommend them which are OF con-
siderable Importance to the orchardists
of Maine. Among these may be men.
toned the following:
/ They check the late fall growth Of
the trees by utilizing the surplus plant
food.
2 Help to prevent deep freezing Of
the ground by retaining the snow dur
ing the winter.
s Utilizes plant food that becomes
available late In the fall and that would
otherwise leach out by the rains.
4 Adds humus to the soil when plow.
ed under In the spring.
5 Helps maintain fertility and In
creases the moisture holding capacity OF
the soil.
8 If the cover crop is legume It will
tend to increase the fertility Of the soil.
Z Helps to prevent the washing of
the soil on side bills.
These cover crops should be sown In
late summer after the trees have made
the desirable amount of growth, usually
In August. The seed are scattered
broadcast and worked into the soil at
the last cultivation. They are allowed
to grow as much a. they will until the
following spring when they are plowed
under. -.
There are number of different kinds
of successful cover crops such az buck.
wheat, oats, vetch, winter rye, winter
wheat, field peas and essex rape. These
may be used singly or in combination.
A good plan is to use two kinds, one re-
sistant to frost and one easily frozen.
Such combinations as buckwheat and
winter rye, or oats and rye, or essex rape
with winter rye would work successful
". The buckwheat would come up
quickly thereby taking food away from
the trees to check their growth. The
winter rye would come on slowly and
when frost cut the buckwheat, would
take its place remaining on the ground
over winter. The vetches are good but
the seed are rather too expensive. The
same Ia true of field peas. Clovers may
be used but their growth 10 slower and
there will be less to turn under In the
spring.
Where any OF these crops are used
alone the quantity of seed sown should
be the same as when sown for crop In
the open ground. Where combinations
are used little more than the equal pro-
portion of each would be desirable.
Where two are used 60 percent Of the
amount of each where grown alone.
Where three are used 40 percent OF each.
This method would add from 2 to dol.
lars per acre to the cost Of the orchard
each year but would return profits In
fruit many fold.