-2- 



orchard. A nuTiber of bloc''.'s to be planted this spring are on 

 the sites of winter injured tress recently ci^t doy;n. The size, 

 vigor and past pi'oduction of such trees is one excellent indi- 

 cator of the adaprablllty of t]-:at particular location. Another 

 help along this line will be f o md in the soils map of the county. 

 '.Icre it 13 possible to get a general notion of the soil typo on 

 • .:ach farir. alor^ v/ith a brief description and a statement of its 

 adaptability for different crops. Both of these thin^^s may be 

 learned by a few minute's study of the soils map and the accorr- 

 ranying description. If in doubt about your particular farm, 

 .Ither your county agricultural agent or the vvrltcr '.vill be glad 

 oo be of a o s 1 s tanc e . 



Many thousands of I'rult trees in ilew iingland and hun- 

 dreds of indiv;] iu.al blocks are undoubtedly being carried along 

 at a loss because they were planted, in the v^rcng place. Poor 

 drainage, di'cug'atlnerjs and shallowness are cMngs to be avoided. 

 The ideal orchard soil is well drained and yet retentive of 

 moisture, and it shows only a gradual color change as v;e dig 

 into Lhe subsoil. lb sboiO.d contc ".:. a considerable proportion 

 of the finer, clay-lil:e particles but the subsoil should not be 

 too compact. A 3lte with good air drainage is also important. 

 With some people, it seems like a v;aste of good land to set frulr 

 trees on a type of soil which is capable of growing a good hay 

 crop. To do otherwise, micans giving the orchard a permanent 

 handicap. 



Variety Trend s 



It v-'as noted in the February issue of Fruit Ilotes that 

 total apple production in the United States has dwindled in the 

 past 35 years. Decrease in total production, however, has not 

 proceeded so rapidly as decrease in total number of bearing trees. 

 Efficient management has greatly improved the yield per tree. 

 Marginal growers are being forced out of business. Nov/ it is 

 generally believed that further retrenchment in the apple indus- 

 try is not necessary. In years of average crops, consumption 

 takes care of production at a price level consistent with fair 

 returns for the fruit grower's investment and labor. If the de- 

 ciduous fruit growing business is to maintain a status quo, more 

 planting must be done in the near future. Today one-quarter of 

 the bearing trees are over 30 yeai's of age, and fully one-half 

 will average more than 26 years of age. These trees have passed 

 their prime and may soon be expected to turn out smaller crops. 



Vi/hat varieties should be planted is largely the indi- 

 vidual grower's problem. Nevertheless, certain facts may help 

 to guide his decision. Some varieties prominent 25 or 50 years 

 ago arc not new recommended for planting. According to a recent 

 survey in New iTorlc, fifty years ago Ben Davis, for example, brough' 

 more per bushel than Northern Spy. Today they sell for approxi- 

 mately 4:0% less. In recent years Mcintosh has not only brought 

 the highest price ■ but production per tree has been the greatest 

 of anji" variety. In New York, with conditions similar to ours here 

 in KassachuGotts, Mcintosh has been the leading variety planted 

 in all areas. Rhode Island Greening, Delicious, and Cortland have 

 also been planted to a considerable extent in some sections , 



