Orchard Fruits and Berries 311 



THE CHARACTER OF SOIL AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION 



Soils which possess good mechanical condition, are rich 

 in the essential constituents, nitrogen, phosphoric acid 

 and potash, contain a good proportion of lime and are 

 well drained and cultivated, are naturally well adapted for 

 fruit trees, as well as for other crops, and the exhaustion of 

 such soils will not become apparent for a long time. But 

 soils of this character are the exception rather than the 

 rule, and the growth of fruit on those which possess the 

 opposite characteristics cannot be continued for any con- 

 siderable period without an artificial supply of the fertility 

 elements. In fact, it is doubtful whether it ever pays to 

 attempt to grow fruits on soils of the latter character with- 

 out supplying them with an abundance of the essential 

 fertilizer elements. 



In the matter of berries, which are crops especially well 

 adapted to soils which possess a light, open character, but 

 which are not naturally supplied with the essential plant- 

 food constituents, proper manuring becomes of even more 

 importance than for the tree fruits; though, because of 

 their shorter period of life, one or two good crops may be 

 secured without heavy fertilization. 



On the whole, however, for all of these crops the great 

 need at the present time is for a larger use of fertilizing 

 materials, not only because a larger yield may be obtained 

 thereby, but because the quality of the product is far supe- 

 rior to that grown under conditions which are not perfect in 

 this respect. Quality, which is determined by size and 

 appearance, is, other things being equal, largely dependent 

 upon an abundant supply of plant-food. It is manifestly 

 impossible to include all fruit and berry crops in one general 

 group, though possessing points of resemblance, because 



