THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



magnificent quartette. Our children will eat more 

 apples, and they will hear less of some of the most 

 destructive diseases. 



The soil of an orchard requires to be strong; and 

 in general almost all sorts thrive best in clay — al- 

 though there are exceptions. It must be remem- 

 bered always that the production of large crops of 

 apples, or of any other fruit, is a heavy draft on the 

 fertility of the soil; and unless means are used to 

 replace the elements that are withdrawn, soil ex- 

 haustion will follow. That sort of food which is 

 needed in one soil will not, however, be suited to 

 all others. An apple orchard can be renewed in 

 its fertility most conveniently by plowing under 

 what are called cover crops — in the main clovers, 

 peas, buckwheat, and cow peas. The object is 

 not only to give direct food to the trees, but to add 

 to the humus or decaying vegetable matter. Legu- 

 minous plants, including the clovers, beans and 

 peas, have the peculiar ability of taking nitrogen 

 from the air, and for this reason become the 

 very best of crops to be plowed under in an apple 

 orchard. 



As a rule, do not set young apple trees in vacan- 

 cies that occur in an old orchard; certainly not 



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