PLANNING THE FRUIT GARDEN 241 



is little danger of late spring frosts, a southern slope is 

 to be preferred, but in growing late varieties of fruits or 

 those that require coolness and moisture, a northern exposure 

 should be selected. Where the prevailing winds are from 

 the west an eastern exposure is desirable, especially for such 

 fruits as apples that drop their crop during severe wind 

 storms. If the site is adjacent to a large body of water, 

 the moderating influence would be most marked on the 

 slope toward the water. There is no best exposure. Each 

 grower should select a site that meets the requirements 

 of the fruit he intends to grow under his local conditions. 



The soil is also an important consideration in selecting 

 a site. The essentials of an ideal soil for fruit production 

 are good drainage, good texture, and a sufficient amount of 

 plant food. Certain soils are better adapted to certain 

 kinds of fruits than others. Apples prefer a medium clay 

 loam while pears do especially well on a heavy clay loam ; 

 peaches and most other stone fruits, except plums, prefer 

 a lighter soil ; while the quince and most of the bush fruits 

 do better on a medium heavy, cool, moist loam. Straw- 

 berries and grapes thrive best on a rather light soil. Fruits 

 come into bearing earlier on light soils, but the trees are 

 apt to be short-lived. On heavier soils, the trees usually 

 grow larger and live longer. In the home fruit garden, 

 however, almost any kind of fruit can be grown by observ- 

 ing good culture and tillage practices. 



Planning the Fruit Garden. In planning the fruit 

 garden, it is advisable to draw a plan to a definite scale 

 showing the relative arrangement of the fruits, the number 

 of each to be grown, and the distance apart that they are 

 to be planted. This not only serves as a guide at planting 

 time, but also furnishes a permanent record of the position 



M. AND H. PLANT PROD. l6 



