Show o 0 0 iI It M 1 T A Ii A fr p ill 7 I t a j i r to r 1 j fI x J tIr r 1 oj f t- t Y fit Jj t 1 1 X q Iff J j. j I t r. r F 0 q J 1 i h ji 0 tw s. s 4 4 J L d I I ti r M A 10 t r F AFF A A S r rS S 7 Ken Walton East Layton farmer grows a second S SECOND CROP crop In m his orchard Dwarf orchard grass planted to protect soil and control weeds produced a crop of valuable seed Two entirely different crops the same year from the same land Kenneth Walton of East Layton Utah did just that last summer when he harvested cherries apricots apri- apri cots and pounds of oC new hard get grass seed from his orchard THE SEED came from a grass cover crop planted between between between be be- tween the rows of trees Low overhanging branches made it impossible to harvest much of the orchard and the seed came from about five acres where trees are small and the combine had room to operate This means a yield of about pounds per acre which is not bad when you consider th the fact that the grass was planted in a solid stand with no intention of harvesting it for seed Planted in the fall of 1967 the grass is Pomar dwarf orchard grass Developed e especially for an orchard cover cover cover cov cov- er crop by the Soil Conservation Conservation Conservation Conser Conser- Service at its Aberdeen Aberdeen Aberdeen Aber Aber- deen Idaho Plant Materials Center This vigorous low- low grading grass is shade tolerant tolerant tolerant toler toler- ant and after establishment prevents soil erosion from ir irrigation irrigation ir- ir and natural run off water And it virtually eliminates eliminates eliminates elim elim- weeds under the trees Weed control does away with numerous costly that often damage trees by destroying feeder roots near the surface of the ground BEFORE I planted a cover crop I had to cultivate my orchard every two weeks to keep ahead of the weeds Walton says and the dust I stirred up almost ruined some of oC the fruit Cultivation is no longer essary Except for areas left for seed Walton now mows the grass in his orchard twice a year Once in the spring to even up the forage and again just after the seed heads have formed If he delays the second second second sec sec- ond mowing until the grass reaches this stage of growth he has discovered the plants remain at about the same height for the rest of the year and no additional are needed OF COURSE he does get some mowing from 50 SO head of breeding ewes that are maintained maintained maintained main main- on the farm and are allowed to graze the orchard from time to time Walton a cooperator with the Davis Soil Conservation District since 1958 owns and operates 40 acres of land along highway 89 in east Davis County Eight acres are good irrigated pasture three acres along a deep ravine are unimproved pasture pasture pasture pas pas- ture and the rest is orchard The entire farm is irrigated ed by a sprinkler system and water for irrigation is supplied supplied supplied sup sup- plied by Weber-Davis Weber Conservancy Conservancy Conservancy Con Con- District WATER IS available whenever whenever whenever when when- ever needed and is applied about every 14 days Between ISO and pounds of nitrogen nitrogen nitro nitro- gen per acre is applied each spring to the orchard and an additional three to five pounds is scattered around each tree With adequate water and fertilizer both trees and grass do well There is no erosion between the trees and weeds are almost non non- existent Walton believes good grass cover and sprinkler irrigation keeps fruit free of dust and does much to improve improve improve im im- im- im prove quality and color of apricots and cherries |