140 POMOLOGY 



123. Adaptation of fruit to soil types. — As indicated 

 in a foregoing paragraph, there is in nature a definite adap- 

 tation of given plants to certain soils, some preferring an 

 acid soil, others a calcareous one, some a wet soil, others an 

 arid one. The different kinds of fruit-trees also manifest 

 to a less degree some soil preferences, or rather they thrive 

 better on one kind than on another. 



The knowledge in regard to varietal adaptation to soils is 

 not extensive, although certain outstanding cases have been 

 repeatedly observed. The work of Wilder ^ along this line 

 is the most complete in American literature. 



The previous conception that the Baldwin apple thrives 

 best on a rather light type of orchard land is confirmed by 

 his observations. The subsoil should be somewhat heavier 

 but not so clayey as to be termed stiff. The Rhode Island 

 Greening, on the other hand, produces better fruit if the 

 soil is of a heavy silty loam or light silty clay loam, under- 

 lain by silty clay loam. The soil should be moderately 

 rich in organic matter and retain sufficient moisture to be 

 classed as a moist soil and yet must not be poorly drained. 

 The "blushed" Greening is produced on soil which ap- 

 proaches more nearly the Baldwin type. The Northern 

 Spy is veiy exacting in regard to the type of soil on which 

 it does best and the one suited to it seems to be a medium 

 loam underlain by a heavy loam or light clay loam, i. e., a 

 soil as heavy as can be selected without incurring danger of 

 inferior drainage. Much the same type of soil is desirable 

 for the Wagener. The heavier of the Baldwin soils is 

 recommended for the Mcintosh but if experience is to be 

 taken as a guide, this variety must be considered rather 

 more cosmopolitan than many others, for it is successfully 

 grown on soils ranging from rather light to fairly heavy and 

 even on those which are not very well drained. Much the 

 1 See Wilder, H. J. Loco cit. 



