The Apple in Oregon. 129 



important elemental features of a site — air drainage. It is as imperative 

 to keep still cold air away from the tree's head as it is to keep stagnant 

 water away from its feet. 



The diversity of geological formation and exposure in the apple- 

 growing districts of Oregon render this topic of aspect a peculiarly 

 interesting one. In some sections little attention aside from that given to 

 heavy winds is necessary; in other sections the southern exposures, while 

 desirable in many respects, are liable to have a thin soil underlaid by 

 impervious rock; in still other sections the northern slopes, ideal in 

 several features, have a soil, rieh, deep, füll of humus, very moist, and 

 thus prone to keep the tree growing too late in the season, and unduly 

 retard the bursting of the buds in the spring; and in yet other sections 

 the aspect is quite a matter of indifference, as in the Rogue and Grande 

 Ronde River Valleys proper. But npon the bench lands of these sections, 

 when more attention is given to the planting of orchards upon them, due 

 attention to aspect will be of no little importance, and may be a deciding 

 factor between success and failure with particular varieties. Especially 

 in Rogue River Valley would it appear that the later keeping varieties 

 will demand the cooler northern exposures, while the earlier varieties will 

 do best upon the southern and eastern slopes. 



In the Willamette Valley, except in the districts tributary to the 

 "gaps" in the Coast mountains, through which strong sea breezes issue, 

 a southern aspect would seem generally desirable, providing it is not a 

 hillside with thin soil. The general low altitude of the valley, together with 

 the average high humidity, makes an open or southern aspect desirable, 

 since under such conditions fruit will tend to take on a higher color, an 

 item of considerable importance in the commercial part of the crop. For 

 early or mid-season varieties, however, and particularly those for home 

 use, where one attaches more importance to fine specimens with clear 

 skins, mellow flesh, and juiciness, and where several days or a week's 

 time in the date of ripening does not detract from the value of the 

 product, a northern, western or sheltered aspect may be of first choice. 



While high color is usually a feature of much commercial value in the 

 apple, those who have formed a discriminating taste and grow fruit for 

 their own use, give it but passing notice. Thus it is that the aspect most 

 desirable for the commercial orchard may be of but secondary importance 

 to the home orchardist. 



As much of the autumn weather in Western Oregon is of low, light 

 value, owing to the humidity, it is necessary to use considerable discretion 

 when selecting a site for the growing of a commercial apple crop of the 

 late keeping varieties, if one would have a high colored product one year 

 ^vith another. Judicious wood pruning and thinning of fruit will mate- 

 rially aid in enabling the fruit to get the most advantage from the light 

 available. 



SELECTION OF TREES AND PLANTING. 



The proper selection and planting of trees is an important part in the 

 starting of an orchard. 



Tree Ideals Fmilty. — At the outset it may be said that our general 

 ideas of the character of a first-class tree are quite faulty. Each variety 

 of fruit tree is more or less characteristic in its form of growth — "habit," 

 as it is often termed — and it is fortunate that this is so, eise what a 

 monotonous appearance our orchard plantations would assume. To this 

 fact, that each variety possesses a characteristic habit, we should give 

 more than passing attention when selecting trees for a new orchard. For, 

 in Order to obtain first-class trees for planting, and none other should be 

 used, the orchardist must have a knowledge of the "points" of a good tree 

 of the variety under consideration. Some trees while in the nursery 



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