The Exposure 53 



such lands are moist and level. Quinces and blackberries 

 demand a moister land than is usually found on pro- 

 nounced slopes. In any event, however, the grower 

 should avoid flat lands that are hemmed in on all sides 

 by elevations, for these "pockets" are nearly always 

 frosty. 



The aspect. 



The aspect or exposure of a fruit-plantation is deter- 

 mined by the direction and extent of the slope of the land. 

 The exposure exerts great influence on the temperature 

 of the soil and on the force of winds, and it therefore 

 becomes an emphatic problem in the location of a fruit 

 area, especially when the tender and early-blooming 

 fruits are under consideration. There is the greatest 

 diversity of opinion respecting the proper exposure for 

 fruits, some growers contending that the northward slope 

 is always the best, and others preferring a southward 

 exposure. The truth is that no one exposure is best in all 

 cases. Much depends on the location and the particular 

 environment of the plantation, and on the kind of fruit 

 which it is proposed to grow. The subject may be analyzed 

 by discussing it under five generalizations: 



1. In locations adjoining bodies of water, the best 

 slope is toward the water. The very reason for the location 

 of fruit-farms in such places is that the ameliorating effects 

 of the water may be secured, and these effects are most 

 marked when the fruit-land is most exposed to the influ- 

 ence of the river or lake. In all these cases, therefore, the 

 particular direction of the slope in respect to the points of 

 the compass is of a very secondary importance. There is 

 often great choice between the two sides of the river or 

 small lake, particularly when the slopes are sharp and 



