Show I COVER CROPS enos FOR ORCHARDS I I to Many Sides to Question n of Best Way I t to Supply Vegetable Supply Supply- I Matter of Irrigation I IThe IThe The subject of the best crop to use usa I Ifor for supplying vegetable matter to our or J soils in young orchards is one that l has as many sides We think tl there ere Is no doubt that in most of our orchards I particularly where the land laud has not been in alfalfa a cover crop of some legume Is very desirable Just what cover crops shall be used and how how- this shall be handled must depend depend on the soil soU age of trees and other factors For the young orchard we believe that the best system is to gr grow w whichever leguminous crop can best be grown In the district between the trees during the latter Dart cart of the growing season Where the seed can be started and anda a crop grown successfully red clover Is probably as good as anything though Canada peas peas soy beans vetch crimson clover etc are all good where the conditions na are are right to produce produce produce pro pro- duce plants of growth We think the crop should be grown In the latter part of the season because the tree needs all the plant food available during dur duro ing lug the early growing season Normally Normally Nor Nor- mally a young orchard tree tree should should begin begin begin be be- gin growing In April or e early May as It should mako make the larger part of the growth before the 1st of July If the seed Is sown fown In early spring for a cover crop the young plants soon floon begin to take this plant food and andare andare are aro apt to materially cut down the tIle growth of the trees This taking up I of at plant Ilant food by outside plants is desirable de dA- the later part of the season for tor we a always ways have a tendency where where clean cultivation tion is given and plen plenty y yot of ot water to keep our our trees growing too long and as a result they are apt I to go into the winter with immature wood In Iii many cases we think that the best practice Is to sow BOW this cover crop in drills leaving an open sp space ce from three to five feet either side of ot the tree row The cov cover r crop is of of- i. i two fold advantage It adds ij tall fiber to the soil which makes e the soil more active and easier to irrigate and If left on the ground in the winter winter win win- ter protects the soil from the drying and freezing and h holds the snow and leaves from drifting Many ny of our growers object to leaving the crop on the gro ground nd In the winter a they thing that fall plowing is necessary in inthe inthe inthe the orchard in order to have the ground in condition to Irrigate This Is true to a certain extent but in few cases we believe Is there any real difficulty in Irrigating orchards that are plowed In the spring If the theland theland theland land lacks slope it simply means that the irrigating furrow furtow must be deeper and the furrows need not be so cl close se together as of course the flatter the ground the more water will will will-be be taken u up as the water advances across the field |