PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 65 



where the soil was deficient in clay; and after one or two 

 fair crops had been gathered, the proprietors invariably 

 complained that their trees did not yield even medium 

 crops of fruit. But they did not seem to understand that 

 apple-trees must have a supply of clay, as well as sand, in 

 order to yield well. We have in mind large numbers of 

 men who have fruit-trees on the light soils of New Jersey 

 and of Long Island, who have always complained that their 

 fruit-trees are failing, and that varieties are dying out. 

 The fact is, there was nothing available in the soil out of 

 which the roots of trees could produce apples. Conse- 

 quently, those very men would report that in their locali- 

 ties " such and such varieties are complete failures ;" when 

 two tons of clay, a few bushels of lime, a top-dressing of 

 ashes, and a dressing of rich compost, would have caused 

 every branch to hang down with plump and luscious fruit. 

 A gentleman of our acquaintance, at this suggestion, spread 

 two wagon-loads of clay round about a barren fall-pippin 

 tree, and the next season there was a bountiful crop of 

 fine fruit. These suggestions will give a beginner a fair 

 idea of the requirements of growing apple-trees, and of the 

 chief operations in preparing the soil for a profitable or- 

 chard. 



What growing Apple-trees require. By referring to the 

 analytical constituents of apples, it will be perceived that 

 there is a large percentage of potash, phosphoric acid, some 

 soda, some lime, and some phosphate of iron in the fruit. 

 If these ingredients are scarce in the soil, we may succeed 

 in producing fine-looking trees, but they will not bear fruit, 

 except inferior crops of small, knotty, scabby, and one-sided 

 specimens, simply because the roots can not find a supply 

 of fruit-producing material in all the space they occupy. 

 Bones, fish, dead animals, hair, leather shavings, and genu- 

 ine superphosphate, and good marl, will supply very irnpor- 



