The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-22

reason for his statement may be under. stood.
 There have been many plantings of orchards of all kinds without the com plete clearing of the ground, some of the stumps being left until the trees have been given a good start. This has usually been in the interest of speed. when the planting season is near and it has been found impossible to com plete the clearing. Better and more experienced growers insist, however, that there is no gain in hurrying the set ting of the trees if the ground has not been we'll prepared in advance, in fact they insist that not only would it be bet ter to have the land all cleared in ad- vance of setting the trees but add that year of general cultivation of the pro- posed orchard site will be found to help greatly when the trees are finally plant ed and that trees planted thus on pre- viously cultivated land will keep pace with those planted one year earlier on land not completely cleared and pre- pared.
 In an orchard planted at a reason able distance in the early years inter- cropping will cover most of the ground, but must each year be car ried on at a greater distance from the trees. The first year such inter-crops should be at least three feet from the trees and each year at least an added foot to the distance is advisable. Hence combination planting that covers most of the space between such trees as oceans would very soon leave little space for surface crops. Such crops should also be of the sur UaP fu Vvif since the tree roots spread rapidly and even in a pecan orchard planted at the 6O-foot distance a very few years will find the roots of the trees more than meeting between the rows.
 Growing Other Crops
 Strawberries, potatoes and such crops as have no long and disturbing roots to interfere with those of the tree are therefore considered proper. Corn shades young trees and also has a tremendous root system and cotton with smaller roots still shades young trees, and both these are taboo in a young orchard. In a pecan orchard with no other trees in combination the peas, pigs, and oceans that have built up many orchards are to be recom- mended Cowpeas planted throughout the orchard may be made a forage crop for pigs, which root up the soil as they feed, cultivating and fertiliz- ing the soil and causing no harm to the growing pecan trees. After fat tening and marketing the pigs the remnant of the cowpeas may be turned under to add humus to the soil, which their nitrogen fixing na. ture had already enriched. In addi. tion to being a profitable proportion in the raising of the pigs there is probably no other combination that will give equally good results at so small an expense.
 And yet there are combination orchards that have been excellent money-makers. Because they sold better on the market the combination Of pecan and satsuma orange has been very popular orchard with orchard companies. The original idea of this planting was that after a few years the less profitable trees could be eliminated and there would remain full grown or chard returning regular revenue from one crop. And then it was recalled that there are many trees in the south. land which are credibly rated as ap- preaching 100 years old, and the re. ports from Japan of satsuma orange trees in that country attaining an age of 800 years. Still the popularity of the pecan and satsuma combination or- chard continues.