69 



of planting", arrangement of his trees, character of the stock 

 which he will purchase and time of planting. 



Apple Soils 



The apple thrives on a great variety of soils. It may be 

 found growing on the lightest of sand and the heaviest of 

 clay, in valleys, on uplands and in river bottoms, but it 

 reaches its maximum of productiveness on well drained, 

 fertile, loamy soils with perhaps a preference for those of 

 limestone formation. Fertility and drainage are, however, 

 the most important features. Stony soils are not objec- 

 tionable unless they interfere seriously with cultivation. 



Location for Apple Orchards 



Commercial orchards should be located in sections that 

 have already proven themselves to be satisfactory for the 

 growth of this crop. It is exceedingly desirable that they 

 be on good lines of railway ^vithin short and rapid commu- 

 nication with large markets. Such locations reduce very 

 greatly the cost of marketing. Every cent saved on freight 

 rates is clear profit. Every hour saved in time of trans- 

 portation may mean the prolonged keeping quality of the 

 fruit or saving in ice charges where fruit must be shipped 

 under refrigeration. The nearer an orchard can be located 

 to a railroad station, the better, as the cost of hauling by 

 horse power is proportionally very much greater than the 

 transportation charges from the railroad station to the mar- 

 ket. The state of Massachusetts and in fact the New Eng- 

 land states in general offer a good choice of locations. 

 Sites for Apple Orchards 

 The site for an orchard means the immediate piece of 

 land on which it is located, with the character of its con- 

 tour, its aspect, and convenience to the house, water supply, 

 etc. The ridges and hills of northern, central and western 

 Massachusetts offer many suitable sites for apple orchards. 

 The ideal site is one at a considerable elevation above the 

 immediately surrounding country, with a gentle slope that 

 insures good air and soil drainage without the danger of 

 soil washing, and where the expense of cultivation, spray- 

 ing, pruning and harvesting will not be increased by the 

 cost of operating on a steep hillside. 



It is an advantage to find a site protected on one side 

 by the hill on which the orchard is planted and on either 



