The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-05-11
che national joy smoke

1921, is likely to be serious. The loss
under some conditions can be partly
Offset and other benefits can be gained
by growing vegetable crops between
the rows of youn gfruit trees, say
specialists of the United States De-
partmcnt of Agriculture.
Plant Vegetables Between Tree
Rows.
Experienced orchardists frequently
iind it advantageous to grow crops be-
tween the tree rows until the trees
reach bearing age. After bearing be-
gins it. is impracticable to "double-
c"or" an orchard. AS rule, inter
cropping can not be practiccd in a
peach orchard after the third season
from planting. Six to eight years is
usually the limit for an apple orchard,
the exact time depending on the var
tors. Further, the trees will usually
shade the ground too much for the
growing of vegetable crops by the
time the ages mentioned are reached.
In an "of year." with an orchard
that was expected to come into bear
ingfor the first time, many fruit grow
crs will find it to their advantage to
plant crops of potatoes, corn, soy
beans, cowpeas, she'll beans, or sweet
potatoes in States where they can be
raised between the orchard rows. The
growing Of potatoes, however, in an
orchard in the northern fruit belt"
is doubtful practice, since the dig
ging Of them amounts practically to
a late cultivation of the ground, and
under some conditions this might stim
ulate a late growth of the trees, which
would be undesirable. In this way the
farmer can utilize about half the space
of his orchard land without injury to
the trees or seriously hampering the
temporary crop. Tomatoes and 9TH
the orchard. These are sometimes
classcd as "catch crops plant
cd for Il quick growth.
Where such catch crops are planted
it is well first to make hasty sur
vey of the operations of other farm
crs in the vicinity and of the avail
| able market, since often where similar
| conditions prevail throughout an en-
tire locality there is tendency for
many farmers to enter on q certain
line of temporary agriculture, with
the result that t he supply far exceeds
the local demand A little foresight
may prevent disappointment.
These rows between the trees are
somewhat more difficult to cultivate
, than in the open field, and many re.
quirc considerable handwork, but IL
| many cases the crops which arc
planted yield a comfortable profit.
The intcrcropping Of young or.
chards has an additional purpose be.
sides the mere direct financial gain
FIT furnishes an incentive to keep th<
orchard cultivated, and as a rule this
is highly desirable from the stand
point of the trees
Good Opportunity to Prune Heavily
An off year furnishes good time Il
put the orchard in order by Close
pruning, such as the orchardst coult
not easily afford if it meant reduction
in bearing surface.
Profit may sometimes be found in {
sowcd crop. Buckwhcat is often {
good thing when sowcd among youne
trees. The buckwhcat may not pay t.
| harvest for grain, but if moved be
fore fully mature it makes goot
mulch, or if permitted to mature
enough grain may be obtained to ma
terially cut down the expenditure fo1
! poultry feed. Buckwheat can be sowr
in June or even in July and still make
satisfactory growth. Field peas
c0wpeas, and various other crops tha
make good forage can be used as oc
casion suggests, and the soil be i'm
| proved thereby
| The fruit grower should realiz,
that it is the abuse rather than th'
lnse of double. cropping systems tha
may result adversely to Yth etrees
Il A.<.l q y 4. 4