92 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICL-LTURE 



the direct bearing it will have upon the 

 nitrogen supply. A soil filled or covered 

 with humus or vegetable fiber readily 

 absorbs and retains a vastly greater 

 amount of water than a soil depleted of 

 its humus by frequent and injudicious 

 cropping or cultivation. The humus also 

 acts as an effective medium of insulation 

 against extremes of cold and heat. 

 F. H. Ballou, 

 Wooster. Ohio. 



Forest Soil in Idaho 



Soils from which native forests have 

 been cleared are best adapted to growing 

 the apple. These are in good physical 

 condition so that ample surface drainage 

 and subdrainage are supplied; besides 

 they have a plentiful supply of plant food 

 which is essential to a healthy wood 

 growth and a finely developed, well ma- 

 tured crop of fruit. It has been repeatedly 

 noted that fruit from such soils reach 

 the highest degree of perfection both from 

 point of quality and color. However, soils 

 which may be brought to a state similar 

 to that found on old forest sites, may be 

 regarded as being well adapted to the 

 growth of the apple. 



Medium clay loams adapt themselves 

 admirably to the apple, and if these pos- 

 sess, or are made to possess, the follow- 

 ing requisites, orchards may be planted 

 upon them successfully. These impor- 

 tant requisites are: Good water drainage, 

 good texture and sufficient richness in 

 plant food. 



Where good natural drainage is not 

 found, tile drainage should be provided, 

 because apple trees will not endure 'wet 

 feet.' The phrase, 'good texture,' means 

 that a soil possessing this characteristic 

 will work up loose and mellow without 

 being hard and lumpy. Such soils are 

 easily worked and hold plenty of moist- 

 ure. Most of the good orchard sites in 

 Idaho are sufficiently rich in plant food, 

 60 there is no direct need of applying 

 plant food at the time of planting. 



J. R. Shinn, 

 Moscow, Idaho. 



Jforth Carolina Soils 



WTiere virgin soil from the forest 

 cannot be obtained for orchard planting. 



only rich land should be used. As an 

 orchard will occupy the ground for many 

 years, very thorough preparation should 

 be given the soil before planting the 

 trees. Never set trees on poor or dry 

 land, for if they do start they are so 

 stunted that it is next to impossible to 

 ever get them to make a satisfactory 

 orchard. Land kept in good tilth and 

 used for cultivated crops can be expected 

 to give reasonably good results in start- 

 ing and growing orchard trees. Lands 

 used for grain crops should be shunned 

 for orchard work, as they are almost cer- 

 tain to be of the dryest and poorest char- 

 acter. Old pasture lands are very poor 

 for tree culture. They may be fairly rich 

 from the droppings of the stock, but the 

 humus in them is ruined by trampling 

 and their mechanical texture is at its 

 very worst. A good previous crop is a 

 heavy growth of some kind of leguminous 

 plant. This crop should be plowed down 

 to furnish humus for the trees. It is 

 more or less difficult and expensive to 

 improve land after trees are planted; so 

 It is best to spare no pains on previous 

 preparation. Preparatory to setting the 

 trees the soil should be deeply plowed. 

 Clean surface cultivation should be given 

 to conserve moisture. A liberal dressing 

 of manure is always beneficial. The man- 

 ure should never be put in the holes in 

 which the trees are planted, but it should 

 be incorporated in the soil by general 

 cultivation. 



Stnmpy Land 



It is by no means necessary that a 

 virgin soil should be cleared of stumps 

 and stones before planting the orchard 

 trees. Unless a stump is actually in the 

 place where a tree should be set, it is not 

 necessary to go to the trouble and ex- 

 pense of having it removed. It is much 

 cheaper to let stumps rot out gradually, 

 and while they are doing so they are 

 supplying humus to the growing fruit 

 trees. 



Stony Land 



Stony land is not at all objectionable 

 for commercial orcharding. On steep lo- 

 cations they help very greatly to hold the 

 rich soil from being washed away. It is 

 probably for this very reason that in 



