10 ORCHARD LANDS 



heavy clay. If he is growing pears he wants, as a class, much 

 heavier soils than for peaches ; usually a fairly heavy clay loam. 

 This question of the adaptability of certain soils to certain classes 

 or varieties of fruits is one which has only, within the last few- 

 years, been studied at all seriously. More and better work has 

 been done on apple soils than any others. Near the close of this 

 chapter the matter is discussed more in detail. 



3. Ease of working the soil. One would discount a soil that 

 was stony or rocky, or that was full of stumps or was a very 

 heavy clay. Personally the writer thinks there is a great deal to 

 be said in favor of rather light lands. They will not hold fer- 

 tilizers as well as heavier soils, and some people think they do not 

 hold moisture as well, though the writer doubts it. But they 

 work so much more easily and there is so much less danger of 

 injuring the soil or of damaging the trees if the soil isn't handled 

 just right. With a heavy clay, one frequently has to wait days 

 after a heavy rain before he can get on the land to work it ; and 

 there is so much more likely to be winter injury to the trees if 

 the soil happens to have been cultivated a little too late, or if too 

 much nitrogen has been used, or even when everything has been 

 handled right, when the winter happens to be especially severe. 



4. Is the soil sour? If it is, in most cases lime has to be 

 applied to secure the best results. There is quite a common 

 (and the writer believes a well-founded) prejudice in favor of 

 soil of a limestone formation. And when one can not get this the 

 next best plan seems to be to apply lime in some form. 



5. Is there plenty of humus in the soil or has it been worked 

 out till the physical condition has been injured ? If the soil lacks 

 humus it must be supplied. It might seem like a simple proposi- 

 tion to get humus back into the soil, but unless one has barn 

 manure available he will find it an up-hill matter with either 

 very heavy or very light soils. The catch crop intended to plow 

 in simply will not grow. And one has a chance to exercise a lot 

 of ingenuity and patience to get things started right. And the 

 soil which requires all this is not as good an orchard soil by 

 just so much as the one which is already in shape. The impor- 

 tance of plenty of humus in an orchard soil is only beginning 

 to be realized. 



