TRANSACTIONS OF CHAMPAIGN CO. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. -219 



landscape gardening. It is ([uitc possible to make shelter-belts, and still 

 more shelter-clumps, beautiful as well as useful ; but I will not now tres- 

 pass upon your patience further. 



AI'l'LK CROWING. 



HOW, WHERE AND WHAT VARIETIES TO RAISE FOR PROFIT — SELECTION 

 OF son,— LOC.JlTION OI- 0RCH.\RD — MARKET F.ACIMTIES. 



[Extracts from a paper read at the March meeting of the Champaign County Horticultural Society, 

 by James W. Robison, of Tremont, Tazewell Co.] 



Location and Soil. — In most parts of Central Illinois the grower must 

 mainly depend upon marketing his fruit by car ; it is, therefore, necessary 

 to be near one or more railroad stations, in order that he may be able to 

 place his apples in cars cheaply and with little bruising, and get good rates 

 of freight. In the next place, his orchard should be on an elevation, so 

 that the wood and buds may ripen properly, and allow the spring frosts 

 to blow over and settle in adjacent low lands. In some seasons elevation 

 decides between crop or no crop. 



While almost any Illinois soil will produce apples, I would prefer a 

 dry, rich, black-loam soil, underlaid with a red or yellow porous clay, with 

 good natural drainage to the depth of five or ten feet. It requires the 

 richest soil to maintain the vigor of the tree and give size and beauty to 

 oft-repeated crops of fruit, while the clay adds to the solidity and keeping 

 qualities of the apple. 



Good surface drainage is also desirable, to carry off the surface water 

 when the ground is frozen, and during excessive rains. Slopes to the 

 south or east are desirable, as they usually have superior soil and drainage, 

 and derive full benefit of the sun and gentle south winds. The most 

 profitable shelter-belt for an apple orchard, I now think of, would be to 

 plant another apple orchard in every respect like the first, on the side that 

 has the best elevation and soil, without regard to the direction of prevail- 

 ing winds. 



Varieties. — Having selected our location, next comes the continually 

 agitated but yet unsettled question of "varieties." This is a subject of 

 the greatest importance to the producer who raises apples for profit. 



The grower must take into consideration the adaptability of varieties 

 to soil, and the wants of the market he is to supply. ■ If his crop is in- 

 tended for transportation to distant points, the varieties must be such as 

 will bear .shipping well. If for the South, the fruit must be red — and this 

 is a good color for any market, not showing small dents or bruises so 

 plainly as light colors. For summer and fall use large kinds sell best. 

 For winter a medium sized apple is preferable, in consequence of its not 

 bruising so batlly in handling, and therefore keeping better. 



