410 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



in the White Pines district of North Carolina. This district, which 

 is gaining considerable reputation for the production of grapes and 

 peaches, has a sandy soil, which, even in its virgin state, does not 

 contain available plant food sufficient to produce satisfactory wood 

 growth or a good crop of fruit. The soil, however, affords a perfect 

 medium for the foraging of roots, and by the intelligent use of arti- 

 ficial fertilizers, it has been made to yield fine returns. It is gen- 

 erally advisable, however, to select soils affording the greatest num- 

 ber of desirable properties. 



Sandy soils should be aA'oided because they are usually wanting in 

 the elements of plant food and they are not retentive of moisture or 

 fertility. Clayey soils are hard to cultivate, bake easily and are 

 often deficient in available plant food. Distinctly loamy soils pro- 

 duce a weak, brashy growth because of too much moisture and an 

 unbalanced ration of plant food, in which nitrogen predominates. 

 Such soils are generally improved by the addition of potash and phos- 

 phoric acid. The ideal soils for general fruit growing are the clayey 

 and gravelly loams; these soils afford excellent mediums for root 

 development and are retentive of both moisture and fertility. Such 

 soils produce strong, healthy wood and fine fruit. 



The orchard site should be higher than adjoining lands to secure 

 atmospheric drainage. The cold air, being heavier than warm air, 

 settles on lower lands, frequently causing frost when there is none 

 on the adjacent higher areas. At my home in Cambria county, it is 

 common to have frosts in the valley a week to ten days later in the 

 spring and that much earlier in the fall than on hill sloping towards 

 the creek. A frost of recent date did considerable damage to fruits 

 along this small stream, while on southern slopes less than a quarter 

 of a mile distant, practically no damage was done to the tree fruits. 



There is great diversity of opinion regarding the proper aspect or 

 exposure for orchards. Some contend that a northern slope should 

 be selected while others prefer land sloping to the south. The slope 

 selected must be determined largely by the prevailing high winds. 

 Northern aspect is all right for the tender fruits which bloom early 

 in the spring, provided there are natural or artificial windbreaks. 

 If windbreaks are not present the trees will likely suffer winter in- 

 jury. A southern or southwestern exposure has four marked advan- 

 tages. First, fruit trees profit as much by the early morning sun 

 as do greenhouse plants. With soils equally fertile, trees on land 

 sloping to the south make a more rapid and healthy growth than 

 those planted on northern slopes. Second, the fruits ripen earlier, 

 which is an advantage with all fruits excepting some winter varieties. 

 Third, fruits produced on southern slopes are superior in color and 

 quality. Fourth, trees on southern slopes do not, as a rule, suffer 

 as much from destructive winds, and consequently they grow 



