Location and Site of the Orchard 39 



heavy clay subsoil — is likely either to be poorly drained or 

 so retentive of moisture as to induce a stronger growth of 

 wood and leaves than is desirable. 



A soil, whatever the type, must be thoroughly well drained, 

 yet not droughty. It needs to be well supplied with humus, 

 otherwise its physical condition will be impaired, it will be 

 quickly affected by drought, and its fertility reduced below 

 an effective standard. ^loreover, a soil should be moderately 

 fertile. One excessively rich in nitrogen is not to be desired 

 as a general rule, since it is likely to induce a superabundant 

 growth of foliage. On the other hand, the impression which 

 is somewhat common that a poor, unfertile soil is "good 

 enough for peaches" is erroneous. In districts where alkali 

 soils occur, sites should be selected with a view to avoiding 

 them. While peach trees will withstand a very limited 

 amount of alkali salts in the soil, they cause disaster if pres- 

 ent in large quantities. It is safer, therefore, to avoid them 

 entirely. 



Topography, elevation, slope, and local climate. 



^^^lile each of these factors has its individual bearing on the 

 problem and each is fundamentally important in selecting an 

 orchard site, their influences on the prevailing conditions are 

 so interrelated that they need to be considered together. 



With the soil problem settled, the outstanding require- 

 ment in choosing a site for a peach orchard is good atmos- 

 pheric drainage. It is often of greater importance even than 

 the soil on account of its relation to freedom from spring 

 frosts. That air of a given temperature is heavier than air 

 of a higher temperature is a most familiar fact. For this 

 reason cold air settles to the lower levels and frosts form in 

 "bottom lands" when higher up on the slopes above the 



