II 



APPLE SOILS 



THE apple thrives on a great variety of soils. In- 

 deed, it is grown to some extent on almost every kind 

 of arable soil in America. When planted on large 

 commercial areas with a view to profit, however, it be- 

 comes necessary to select those particular soils which 

 give the best results. 



First of all, it is obvious that apple trees can be ac- 

 commodated only in a deep soil. Naturally the roots 

 extend to considerable depths, and unless a porous 

 open subsoil is present the tree does not have proper 

 opportunity for rooting. In soils with impervious 

 hardpan, or in those where the water table is near the 

 surface, apple trees do not succeed well. It is gen- 

 erally known that apple trees are very impatient of wet 

 feet. This can easily be seen in orchards where there 

 are small spots of poorly drained land where the 

 water stands. In such spots the trees are always poor, 

 and they usually die out early, leaving blank places in 

 the orchard. It has been observed that a twisted 

 growth of the apple tree trunk indicates imperfect un- 

 derdrainage. Some of these soils of course can be 

 improved, or the difficulty entirely corrected, by thor- 

 ough underdrainage. As a rule, however, only those 

 soils which are naturally deep and well drained should 

 be chosen for apple orchards. 



A somewhat gravelly soil, or even one verging 

 somewhat on stony, has been found by experience to 

 be highly satisfactory for apple growing, provided 



