126 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



Select for a site as low priced land as is compatible with the desired 

 requirements; deep, well-drained, moderately heavy, friable, fertile soil, 

 in a locality where climatic conditions and transportation facilities are 

 favorable to the development of the crop. 



SITE, AS TO SOIL. 



Upon this very important phase of orchard-making, all authorities are 

 practically agreed. From the old orchards, and especially the old trees of 

 both Europe and America, the west and the east, the same lessons are 

 learned. WSth one accord these trees, though separated by leagues of 

 land and water, proclaim the creed of the apple tree — complete air and 

 water drainage, and a deep, loamy soil. 



Speaking upon this topic aboiit 200 years ago, Miller, an English 

 authority, said: 



A gentle hazel loam, which is easy to work -and does not retain the 

 wet, is the best. Although these trees will grow on very strong land they 

 are seldom so thriving, nor is the fruit so well flavored as upon trees 

 grown on a gentle soil. Dry, sandy, or g^avelly soils are wholly unfit for 

 the apple tree. 



Delaville,* writing upon the subject of soils suitable to fruit culture in 

 France, says: 



A good soil for all fruit trees is composed of equal parts of sand, clay, 

 and lime. 



Baltet,** a populär French horticultual writer, in discussing the 

 subject of soils desirable for the apple, remarks that: 



A wheat soil is the soil for the apple tree when grown as a Standard. 



The importance of thorough drainage in connection with a good soil is 

 emphasized by the same author in these words : 



The fruit of the apple is largest in the humid Valleys, but best flavored 

 on the hills and dry table lands. The excess of humidity, as the need of 

 free air, inducing canker and favoring the aphis. 



Nanot,*** in his treatise upon the eider apple, thus speaks of the soil 

 as bearing upon this fruit: 



The apple is not very particular as to the nature of the soil ; it neither 

 dislikes very clayey, very limey, nor very sandy soils, but the best flavored 

 and longest keeping f ruits come from trees grown on clay loam. 



Dr. L. H. Bailey,**** speaking of apple-growing in the eastern United 

 States, says: 



As a rule, rather light or loamy soils, with deep and porous sub-soils, 

 are best adapted to apple growing. Natural drainage is imperative. 

 Apple trees are impatient of wet feet. 



At a meeting of the Oregon State Horticultural Society, held in New- 

 berg in 1901, E. L. Smith made the following Statements while speaking 

 briefly of the apple: 



Apples grown on sandy soil will weigh much less per bushel than those 

 grown on clay or clayish soils, other conditions being equal. Apples to be 

 long keepers must be grown on soil having some clay. 



In reply to a question relative to this point, Col. G. B. Brackett, the 

 pomologist of the U. S. D. A., writes (1904) : "I know of no experiments 

 along this line, but I am inclined to think that apples grown upon clay 

 loam, other conditions being equal, would be somewhat heavier than those 

 grown upon light, sandy soil. I know that apples that are grown on 

 heavy clay soil are apt to keep better than those grown upon light, sandy, 



*Cours Practique D'Arboriculture Frultiere, 1897. 

 **Traite de la Culture Fruitiere, 1900. 

 ***L<e Culture du Pomme a Cidre, 1895. 



****Field Notes on Apple Culture, 1893. 



