• TRANSPLANTING THE APPLE IN THE NORTHWEST. 417 



"In intimate connection with this is the second query, referring 

 to the exposure and necessary protection for the orchard location. 

 From which direction should this protection come? Here, too, the 

 majority of the replies received were somewhat at variance with 

 what I had supposed to be the general opinion on this subject, and 

 out of the sixteen ten declared directly for protection on the south 

 and west ; two others on what is practically the same protection, one 

 for south and southwest and another for southwest and south ; one 

 preferred south and east protection, and only one a protection from 

 the northwest. From each there is a general thought that the or- 

 chard should have protection. One of the replies struck the key 

 note, I believe, in asking for protection from the direction of the 

 prevailing winds, and whether this was in the thought of the writers 

 of these replies or not, it seems that much the larger proportion of 

 them ask for protection from the southwest winds, which are so 

 damaging to the orchard from their dryness, and also a location on a 

 slope to the northeast, which is virtually also another protection in- 

 terposed in the direction of the prevailing winds by the elevation of 

 land upon which the chosen slope is located. 



"As to the soil preferable for an orchard, there is but little dis- 

 agreement. Twelve of the sixteen definitely ask for clay or clay 

 loam, though one or two speak of it as a rich loam or a good loam, 

 and one as soil fit for corn. For the subsoil there is equally a general 

 preference for a clay subsoil ; three asking also for a subsoil going 

 down to limestone rock ; two preferring gravelly clay ; one open clay ; 

 two sandy clay ; all of these selections being made evidently for the 

 purpose of securing good drainage. The evident motive underlying 

 these replies is for a soil which is not only fertile in the elements 

 required for the growth of a tree, but is also especially retentive of 

 moisture, — and indeed the whole purport of these replies is in the 

 direction of securing and retaining sufficient moisture, both by a 

 suitable soil and by a location sloping away from the direction of the 

 prevailing summer winds and protected also from the same quarter. 



"The preparation of the soil I will touch upon only briefly in say- 

 ing, that in a clay soil it would undoubtedly be wise to use the sub- 

 soil plow if possible a year before planting the orchard, so that the 

 soil may subside to a sufficient degree of solidity, and, following the 

 same principle, the surface soil should be deeply plowed the fall be- 

 fore planting, taking it for granted now the planting in any case in 

 this latitude will be done in the spring. Lighter soils of course do 

 not need this deep treatment, but if it can be avoided an orchard 

 should not be located on a light soil. 



"The brings us to the question of the best time to dig and trans- 

 plant the trees that are to constitute our orchard. Of the sixteen 

 replies received in answer to the question as to the best time to dig 

 the trees, ten without conditions agree upon the fall, of which four 

 express a preference for late in the fall and one for 'as early in the 

 fall as practicable after the frost has checked the growth.' Four 

 express a preference for digeino- trees in the spring as soon as the 

 frost is out of the ground. Of these, two express a preference for 

 planting in the spring ; it is probable that they may have these trees 



