34 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Red, in order to establish one name. As it is, it is a little misleading. 

 A great many think that Canada Reds and Steele's Red are two different 

 apples, bnt in the early time when the Canada Red was first introduced, 

 it was known as the Steele's Red. and they are one and tlio same apple. 



While you cannot tell for certain what the soil is, wIhmi you come to 

 the subsoil, then you can get a pretty good idea. A subsoil that is open 

 and porous, I do not care whether it is gravel or clay — if it is a soil 

 that will allow the roots to go down into the earth it will be pretty sure 

 to give good results, for Hie roots will go down to the moisture and the 

 moisture will come up. The soil that is too wet will not produce the 

 best crops of fruit. We all know that when you go into a wet place 

 there is where you will fail so in selecting a site. We should find one 

 that is naturally drained. Of course, if you are putting out a small 

 orchard you could drain that out and make a pretty good orchard, even 

 though the ground was Avet, but I would hesitate to go onto a piece of 

 land where T had to drain it for a commercial orchard, for a commer- 

 cial orchard T would try to ^ei hold of land that would drain naturally 

 itself, for the reason if you have to go to work and drain out the land 

 there comes a time when these drains become clogged u]) and you have 

 more or less trouble with these drained lands, esj)ecially in orchards 

 Avhere the tendency is for the roots of the trees to fill up the drain which 

 it will do in time. 



Anrl often we find that the j)lace where it is desired to plant an orchard 

 may linve some portion of that land, has what is called ''water pockets." 

 I have seen places >vhere the land was naturally very dry as a whole, 

 but where the drain Avould have to be put in at these particular points. 



We want soil that Avill grow fruit of all kinds, of course, there is 

 considerable in the site but not all, whether we plant apples or peaches 

 some in the kind of elevation. We can secure apples on good land on 

 the level but in our ])ai't of the country we fell down in growing peaches 

 when we got down on the level where the frost of the spring would in- 

 jure the fruit buds, etc. Hence, the land that lies above the surround- 

 ing country, I find, though it be only a few feet above, will give better 

 results than on the dead level. 



Tf you will pardon me for referring to my own situation, I have an 

 orchard of twenty-three acres. A part of the trees are nineteen years old 

 and a part of them are only twelve, on the last part of it I came down the 

 slope about half way, and there I seemed to strike a frost line, I have 

 not raised enough peaches below that line to i)ay the expenscvs of the 

 orchard, but above that it has done very well. 



Besides the drainage of the water you need also the drainage of the 

 air. You know as you come through the low places you will feel a cold 

 current of air. When the frost comes these are the places that are at- 

 tacked, while on the high places the fruit is not injured. 



Now, I desire to say a few words in regard to the preparation of the 

 site on which it is desired to plant an orchard. Of course, we would 

 feel like not doing all that we think we should, but T believe that men 

 could afford to spend some time in jireparing a field for setting out 

 trees. That is, work the soil for a few years, fertilize heavily, grow a 

 crop of clover, plow it \inder, and ^et the field into shape for setting out 

 the trees. I like to grow hoed crops previous to fhe setting out to make 

 the field very clean. 



