264 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"many seek, but few findeth." All fruit sections, near fruit sections and 

 make-believe fruit sections are eager to attract buyers, and each claims to 

 be the original Garden of Eden. If the land a "shark" is trying to sell is 

 not in a fruit section it is in close proximity, as one man advei'tised land 

 as being near or adjacent to the Rogue River country, when in fact it was 

 about 100 miles distant, and that across the mountains. Another man 

 in Chicago sold a foreign "sucker" a piece of fruit land (five acres) in 

 southeastern Oregon, unseen, which was 150 miles on a bee line from the 

 nearest railroad. After a would-be fruit grower has read all the dope from 

 different sections he is in no condition to make a selection. If you are un- 

 able to visit the different sections look into the reliability of the agent or 

 company you are about to deal with. However, if it is at all possible, visit 

 the different sections and see for yourself just what they are doing. After 

 you have selected a locality it would be well to get an expert to pass 

 upon the tract before buying. 



Nearness to markets and transportation are very important considera- 

 tions. The markets are of two kinds, namely, home and foreign. In other 

 words, you sell your crop in a nearby town, or ship. A large percentage 

 expect to ship their output and to this class the question of transportation 

 is of very great importance. Unless you can be absolutely sure of this 

 factor, it will be best for you to look further. Get as close to the shipping 

 point as possible, as long hauls by wagon will take a big slice out of your 

 profits. 



THE SITE. 



When you have decided on a locality, whether in the northwest, west, 

 middle west or east, close attention must be paid to the particular site on 

 which the orchard will be planted. Study this spot with reference to soil, 

 elevation and water and air drainage. Any soil that has a depth of four 

 feet and will produce a good yield of farm crops will produce fruit trees, 

 especially apples and pears. However, whether or not these trees will 

 produce fruit depends on the drainage. Trees will not thrive where they 

 have wet feet; that is, the soil being waterlogged two-thirds of the year. 

 The water keeps out the air and forces the tree to form its roots near the 

 surface. When a dry spell comes on, the tree cannot mature its crop 

 properly for lack of nourishment, as the water table has dropped far out of 

 reach of the shallow roofs. A site on which the air will not circulate 

 readily is to be avoided. The tree may do well, but the loss of crop from 

 frost will be frequent. The work of the frost on such a spot was well 

 illustrated in a newly planted vineyard in this locality. While the sur- 

 rounding country is ideally suited to fruit growing this one tract has a 

 depression of about one-third of an acre in extent, and the lowest point 

 was not over five feet below the surrounding land; yet the leaves on the 

 vines in this low spot were frosted at least a month in advance of other 

 plants. The reason for this is that cold air settles down into the depres- 

 sions and if it cannot flow off rapidly frost will appear here before it will 

 on well-drained land. 



