28 SUCCESSFUL FRUIT CULTURE 



extremes of heat and cold, the cost of land is much 

 less and the fruit is more firm, of better color and 

 quality and will keep longer. 



While upon land that can be easily cultivated 

 greater profit will probably be obtained by thorough 

 and clean cultivation, the first cost of land is generally 

 many times greater than that of land equally rich and 

 well located that cannot be cultivated, and there are 

 many notable instances where successful and profitable 

 orchards have been grown under such conditions. In 

 many sections of our country our farmers and fruit 

 growers are land poor, i. e., they have more land than 

 they can care for at a profit with the capital in hand, 

 and the first point they should make, if about to 

 enter into apple growing, is to find land suited to the 

 growth of that fruit. If it can be cultivated easily 

 there will be the most profit if it be thoroughly culti- 

 vated, but if too rough and rocky for cultivation, profit- 

 able crops can still be grown by applying plant food 

 to the trees and keeping the grass, sedges, brakes, etc., 

 cut so that they shall not carry away the moisture or 

 plant food in their growth. 



I wish to repeat here, however, what is said on 

 another page, that whatever system is followed, success 

 will be obtained only when an abundance of plant food 

 is provided, and the cheapest and best method of sup- 

 plying this must be determined by each grower ; whether 

 by the use of the cultivator or harrow and a moderate 

 amount of plant food, or by the application of an 

 abundance of plant food and the frequent cutting of 

 the grass or mulch material found growing about the 

 trees. The amount of fertilizers to be used can only 

 be determined by a careful study of the trees, but 

 enough must be applied to produce from six to ten inches 

 of new wood each year. 



