24 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [rul). Doc. 



follow this sayinc; with tlio words, "■ and that is all." Xo 

 other varieties are so cosmopolitan with regard to climate, 

 and from Xew York to Alabama these apples have numerous 

 advocates. 



Soils as heavy and moist as described for the Rhode Island 

 Greening are not desirable for either the Ben Davis or Gano. 

 The tree is naturally of strong growth, hence this character- 

 istic should not be intensified by planting on an excessively 

 rich soil, both on account of the growth of the tree and the 

 poor quality and color of the fruit. At the same time, the 

 opposite extreme is not desirable, for if the soil be too sandy 

 the tree grows straggling. 



Both of these varieties as planted in Xew York, Penn- 

 sylvania and States farther south in the Appalachian region 

 are bound to prove profitable, but they are not altogether 

 satisfactory. Soils adapted to the Baldwin, York Imperial 

 or Winesap will grow good trees and fruit of both Ben Davis 

 and Gano. Hence there are extensive soil areas, particularly 

 in Pennsylvania, ^laryland, the mountainous areas of Yir- 

 ginia and West Yirginia that are well adapted to these vari- 

 eties, and they are also profitable sorts in western Xew York 

 and in the Hudson valley. But many orchards have been 

 planted, especially in West Yirginia, on thin shale hills, where 

 the soils are so poorly adapted to apple growing that not even 

 the cosmopolite, Ben Davis, can bring satisfactory results. 

 This is not the fault of the variety, and in fact the Ben Davis 

 will probably bring better returns from such soils than any 

 other variety. In the southern Piedmont region the Ben 

 Davis drops so early in the season that it is not of commercial 

 importance. In the southernmost A]ipalachiau districts it 

 may l)e grown, but only for the late fall trade in the extreme 

 southern markets, as there is no call for it farther north. 



From careful observation it is believed that the Ozark Ben 

 Davis is a little larger than the A]>pala('hian-grown fruit. 

 and that under the same conditions tlie Ozark fruit is sufFi- 

 ciently superior to the latter to briuii' a slightly higher ])rice 

 in market. As a connnercial proposition, however, the greater 



