Ml 



size is amply compensated by the superior quality and 

 flavour. 



From the foregoing it is clear that a study of the 

 geology of the district is of great importance to the culti- 

 vator in general and to the fruitgrower in particular. In 

 fact the amendment of the upper layer of the soil by the 

 addition of ingredients, which may be missing, and are 

 required either for their physical or for their chemical 

 quality, or for both, will be generally sufficient for field 

 crops, but such a superficial amendment will be found 

 inadequate for trees whose roots penetrate deeply in the 

 soil. In this case the amendment must be carried out 

 simultaneously with deep trenching to a depth of about 

 one metre. Again, certain fruit trees or even a particular 

 variety of the same species may not thrive well in a 

 calcareous soil, and therefore must be budded or grafted 

 on stock which agrees with such soil, and on the other 

 hand the physical quality and the loose or stiff nature of 

 the soil and subsoil may require variations in the methods 

 of tillage, manuring and watering, so that the grower 

 may derive the full advantage with the least cost. 



Another important matter is the water-supply avail- 

 able for irrigation. Hard wafir is injurious for most 

 trees, and if the hardness is of permanent nature and is 

 due to chloride of sodium or common salt, that is if the 

 water is brackish, it is particularly injurious to vegetation. 

 In such cases if the land is not thoroughly drained so that 

 the excess of salt is washed off in winter and diluted by 

 rain water, the chlorine may accumulate to a dangerous 

 extent and the soil then becomes practically a salt pan 

 and altogether unfit for the cultivation of fruit trees. If 

 water of better quality is not available it is better to 

 water sparingly, by watering liberally but at longer inter- 

 vals. Even if the land is perfectly drained, it is always 

 wise to follow this rule, and not to trust too much on the 

 washing action of the winter rains, which in dry years may 



