56 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Now if that system does that, why is it not a good practice? 

 In the spring you are growing the grass there in your orchard 

 when you want to take out some of the excessive moisture, 

 and when your trees do not need this so much. It may restrict 

 the growth to some extent. So much the better. We do not 

 want too much wood growth. But by doing that, by- restrict- 

 ing that growth, by shading the ground, you save your moisture 

 when you want it, and it is a cheap method, and it is a method 

 which produces good results. If that is so, then why is it not a 

 good practice? 



Now let me commence at the beginning of the orchard and 

 explain in detail down through, as there may be some good 

 points that I may not have thought of. 



Now in choosing a location for the orchard, it is well to get 

 a location where the ground is a little higher than the surround- 

 ing country if you can, and it is better if you can get a northern 

 exposure. There are several reasons for this. You get the 

 cold air and the orchard will drain off in the morning quicker. 

 The foliage will dry off quicker and earlier in the morning and 

 this will have a tendency to lessen the danger from fungous 

 troubles. And not only will that be the case, but it will not 

 affect your fruit buds, so it is better on the ground. Another 

 thing: when the sun comes up in the morning the rays will 

 strike over into the foliage the first thing if it is on high ground, 

 and the sooner the orchard dries off in the morning, the better. 

 Then, in the middle of the day, the sun rays do not strike so 

 direct and that is a point in your favor, especially in the winter 

 time, because, if it happens to be a warm day, sometimes the 

 buds will swell and upon the high ground the air is cooler and 

 there is more apt to be stirring, and the reflection of the sun 

 is not so great and consequently there is not so much danger. 

 So you see that it is a reason, notwithstanding the fact that 

 you can grow good fruit the other way. 



Now an orchard that is protected by woods is a pretty good 

 thing. The heat, the hot air of summer, sometimes injures 

 the trees when the hot air strikes your trees ; for where the 

 warm drying hot air of summer strikes your trees it sometimes 

 injures the trees and the fruit, and if you have got your orchard 

 in a location where you have got some woods against it, it 

 tempers it, cools it somewhat, and I think it is a l)enefit. 



