34 



AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



the illustration. The cold air had settled into the depression 

 to such an extent as to retard the blossoming of the trees 

 nearly a week in comparison witli the blossoming of the trees 

 in the elevated portion of the orchard. 



Another thing of great importance in selecting sites for or- 

 chards is the soil and especially the subsoil. I am coming to 

 lay more and more importance upon the character of the sub- 

 soil. It should be deep and porous, at least relatively so; po- 

 lOus enough to admit of a fairly rapid percolation of the water 

 through it. 



The next view shows a section of soil in the Ozark Region 

 in which apple trees and other fruit trees make a rapid growth 

 during the early years of the orchard. This rapid growth is not 

 due to the extreme fertility of the soil as much as it is due to 

 the great moisture reservoir that is furnished by the deep, 

 porous subsoil. 



In contrast to the last view, the one now on the screen 

 shows a solid ledge formation within three or four feet of 

 the surface. There is nothing on the surface of the soil to 

 indicate that the solid rock is near the surface without an 

 examination of the subsoil. One could very readily have pur- 

 chased an area of land in the section in which this view was 

 taken thinking that he was securing soil that was suitable for 

 any purpose and being totally unconscious of the fact that its 

 usefulness was greatly restricted by the character of the subsoil. 

 Fruit trees have done fairly well during seasons of normal rain- 

 fall on soil having such characteristics as those in the section 

 of country in which this view was taken. But the season of 

 1911 was one of excessive drouth following two other years 

 that were very dry. As a result of this drouth, coupled with 

 the fact that the moisture reservoir — that is, the subsoil — was 

 very limited, thousands of apple trees died. 



A thin stratum of rock two or three feet from the surface 

 underlaid by good soil conditions would be equally as unde- 

 sirable as a solid rock formation because of the fact that the 

 rock stratum would efiPectually cut off all communication be- 

 tween the soil above the rock and tliat below." 



Following these views, several were thrown on the screen 

 showing typical orchards or orchard conditions in various sec- 



