THE ORCHARD CROP 265 



always to be avoided. Sand or gravel in the soil and the sub- 

 soil is favorable. Some clay loams may have very little visible 

 sand or gravel and still drain sufficiently for fruit trees. The 

 sand may be very fine or the soil may contain much organic 

 matter to a good depth, thus insuring ample drainage. 



342. Fertility of orchard soils is of lesser importance. The 

 fertility of orchard soils is less important than drainage and 

 aeration. A sandy soil that will not produce a large crop of 

 corn or wheat may bear very good orchards, particularly if 

 green-manure crops are occasionally grown among the trees 

 and plowed under. 



Fruit trees root deeper and feed from a greater soil area 

 than do most other crops. The growing season of orchard trees 

 is longer than for other crops, which means that they have a 

 longer period in which to store up plant food. Furthermore, 

 the leaves of the trees as well as the shedding bark and im- 

 properly developed fruit are annually returned to the soil, as 

 are the weeds or other plants which grow under the trees. 

 Only the salable fruit is removed, and it contains considerably 

 less plant food than is removed by a crop of corn. It should 

 not be understood, however, that fertility is not desirable in 

 orchard soils. Other things being equal, a fertile soil is always 

 to be preferred, and in any case attention should be given to 

 maintaining the fertility of the -orchard. 



343. The orchard site. In choosing the location for an 

 orchard, careful consideration should be given to such matters 

 as slope, elevation, prevailing winds, and proximity to bodies 

 of water. In a climate likely to be foggy at times, as parts of 

 New England, a south slope is preferred, because the sunlight 

 is insufficient on any other slope properly to develop the tree 

 or ripen the fruit. In the foggy regions of Europe fruit trees 

 are frequently grown along the south side of a wall to secure 

 all the sunlight possible. In tropical countries some plants must 

 be protected against excessive light (Fig. 128) ; while in a 

 climate of intense sunshine like that which prevails in the 

 Middle States a north or east slope is preferred, in order to 



