214 ANNUAL REPORT 



trees in many orchards. On very dry ground I invariably found 

 them killed or severely injured, while on moist ground they proved 

 to be sound. In my nursery on high, dry ground, I had several 

 acres of dead trees, while on heavier, moist ground I sustained no 

 loss. On the north sides of buildings and high board fences, I 

 have always found the soil more moist and fruit trees in a more 

 healthy condition, than when on the south sides, or other places 

 more exposed to the sun. Northern slopes are better for orchards 

 than southern slopes, because they remain moist longer during 

 times of drouth than the latter. Heavy break-winds near orchards 

 do more harm than good. I have known apples to be badly 

 scabbed on the east sides of such break-winds at different times by 

 severe late spring frosts, while in other parts of the orchards they 

 were not injured. At such times they intercept the passage of 

 light west winds which prevent harm in orchards more exposed. 

 Light break-winds of evergreen trees are desirable. But cotton- 

 woods, white maple and willow are unsuitable for such purposes, 

 as the remarkable absorbing qualities of their roots and the reflec- 

 tion of the heat of the sun by their light colored leaves causes the 

 ground to be sufficiently parched during our hot summers, to 

 greatly injure or ruin the fruit trees which stand near them. In 

 Minnesota there is a great variety of soils and subsoils on nearly 

 every farm, and most of them contain too little of the inorganic 

 mineral substances which fruit trees require. While selecting our 

 orchard sites, we should look less to convenience than natural 

 drainage, and the qualities of the soil and fsubsoil which will 

 render them least likely to be affected by drouth. It is unsafe to 

 plant many trees of varieties which have been tested in only a few 

 localities. Whether fruit trees should be planted much deeper 

 than they stood in the nursery or not, will depend on the qualities 

 of the soil and subsoil. Where only light or sandy soils can be 

 used, the collars of the trees should be placed twelve or more inches 

 below the surface of the ground, for the purpose of aiding their 

 roots to reach permanent moisture. Where the ground is inclined 

 to be toe wet, or bake during very dry weather, it should be well 

 ridged up for the rows of trees, and shallow planting Avill prove 

 best. On good orchard soils which have porous subsoils, trees 

 should not be planted more than two inches deeper than on a wet 

 soil. Too many fruit growers forget that nature's methods are 

 invariably the best, and rely more on plausible theories than com- 

 mon sense. We have been told repeatedly that deep planting is 

 best on all soils, because it will prevent the roots of trees from be- 



