142 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



a greater or less extent by the use of lime, manures and commercial 

 fertilizers, yet it is important to emphasize the wisdom of selecting a soil 

 best suited to the fruit that is expected to be raised, or to plant only 

 those fruits best suited to the soil one already has. 



PREPARATION OF SOILS FOR AN ORCHARD. 



The preparation of soil previous to the planting of an orchard will 

 depend entirely upon its nature, its texture and its condition of fertility. 

 It is generally agreed that a field should be brought into the best possible 

 state of cultivation before it is planted to fruit trees. If young trees 

 are planted in a soil that is not in a condition to induce a strong, 

 vigorous, healthy growth, throughout the first few years of their lives, 

 the orchard will never be as healthy, productive, or bring as good re- 

 turns as it would have done if the trees had been given a good start, 

 and the lack of clean and thorough cultivation ])revious to planting the 

 trees makes it much more difficult and expensive after the trees are 

 planted. Not only should the preparation of soil be clean and thorough, 

 but it should be deep. The soil should be loosened up as deeply as pos- 

 sible with the plow. On some soils it is highly desirable to use the sub- 

 soil plow, running it to a depth of from 16 to 20 inches. Soils which 

 are naturally loose and subject to leaching would be possible exceptions, 

 and should be treated in a way to avoid leaching. 



While it is not desirable to select for an orchard, soils which need 

 artificial drainage, yet if such is chosen, it should be uuderdrained with 

 tile. Since trees are intended to occupy the land for a longer period 

 of time than ordinary crops, the grower can afford to give the soil better 

 preparation than for ordinary annual crops. 



In most cases it will be a decided advantage to devote the land to hoed 

 crops, such as potatoes, corn or beans for one or two years, before plant- 

 ing the orchard, so that all weeds can be subdued and the soil worked 

 into a good condition. At the same time, any poor ])ortions of the field 

 can be easily located and improved. If the soil is badly depleted, it 

 ivould be advisable to seed it to clover and turn under the sod before 

 planting. If the trees are to be planted in the spring, it is better to 

 plow the soil in the fall, unless the slope is such as to Avasli badly. The 

 alternate freezing and thawing during the winter will assist greatly in 

 pulverizing and mellowing the soil. 



FALL OR SPRING PLANTING. 



The advisability of fall or spring planting depends upon several con- 

 ditions. Fall planting has the advantage over spring planting in that 

 the trees become firmly established in the soil before Avinter sets in, and 

 are able to start growth in the spring before the ground can be marked 

 and put into condition for planting. This is important because the trees 

 get a good growth in the early part of the season, before the summer 



