ORCHARDS. 31 



It is probable, that the celebrity of many orchards 

 depends more on their exposure, and on the selection of 

 fine varieties of fruit, than on any peculiarity of soil : 

 as a rule for judging of the fitness of a soil for an or- 

 chard, it will generally be found safe to take that 

 which will produce fine wheat and clover, with as 

 much of a south, or south east aspect, as can be had : 

 the flavour of apples will be found, probably, to de- 

 pend on the goodness of the soil and aspect combined : 

 many orchards flourish for a few years, but decline 

 as soon as the roots penetrate the lower strata of the 

 earth : a cold clay, or a quicksand, are frequently the 

 basis of light soils; such land, however improved by 

 manure or cultivation, can never be made fit for an 

 orchard. 



Blowing sands, when bottomed on a dry substratum, 

 and aided by marie or meadow mud, will be found 

 capable of producing very fine apple- trees : good 

 cultivation, and a system of high manuring, will al- 

 ways remunerate the proprietor of an orchard, except 

 it be planted on a quicksand, or cold clay ; in such 

 soils, no management can prevent an early decay. 

 One of the most thrifty orchards I possess, was plan- 

 ted on a blowing sand, on which 1 carted three thou- 

 sand loads of mud on ten acres, at an expense of about 

 twenty-five dollars per acre, exclusive of much other 

 manure: on this land I have raised good wheat and 



