SOIL TYPES FOR VARIETIES OF APPLES 773 



The primary demand of the New York market is still for Rhode 

 Island Greening u as green as grass/ 7 and leading dealers and 

 commission men there state that " any means or factor which will 

 give them a Greening of such color, that is larger, nearer maturity, 

 and that can be picked later, is greatly to be desired." Late 

 maturing or clayey soils certainly help to this end. 



BALDWIN SOILS 



The best Baldwin soils consist of heavy fine sandy loams, and 

 light mellow loams, underlain by deep subsoils ranging from 

 plastic, light clay loam to heavy silt loam. The soils should be 

 well oxidized, the brown and yellow colors being more satisfactory 

 than the gray. 



Light sands give a high color to Baldwin, but on them the 

 fruit matures early and in most years tends to be undersized. 

 Plenty of humus helps to overcome this, but it should not be sup- 

 plied through too great amounts either of stable manure or of 

 green crops plowed down in any one year. No more manure 

 should be applied at one time than will become thoroughly disin- 

 tegrated and incorporated with the soil in one year. If applied 

 in too great amounts the soil may be made more droughty the first 

 year; but moderate annual applications increase the moisture- 

 holding capacity of the soils, and thus slightly defer the maturity 

 of crops. 



The same principle applies to the plowing under of cover 

 crops, which should never be done unless the soil is sufficiently 

 moist to cause their ready decay. Otherwise they may form at 

 the bottom of the furrow a barrier to the upward movement of the 

 capillary moisture. If the soil is dry the cover crop should be 

 mowed and left to serve as mulch until rains come to moisten the 

 soil deeply. If it is then too late in the season for plowing to be 

 advisable, this should be deferred until the following spring. 



Heavy silt loams and clay loams are not favorable to high 

 color on Baldwin, and in some sections of New York are to a 

 considerable degree responsible for fruit with poor color. Such 

 fruit may keep well but it does not appear attractive on the 

 market. Tile drains and heavy cover crops to reduce the soil 

 moisture afford some alleviation to this condition. 



