82 



HIGGLE ORCHARD BOOK 



SoiLS.--Aimost any soil will do for the apple 

 orchard, provided that it be somewhat elevated and 



sufficiently well 

 drained. Very 

 light sand, or 

 swampy muck, 

 would be least 

 desirable ; a 

 loamy clay soil, 

 most desirable. 



VARIETIES 

 WHICH ARE 

 OFTEN SELF- 

 MAY'S PROMISE STERILE. 



* ' Bellflower, Primate, Spitzenburg, Willow Twig, 

 Winesap, " says Cornell Experiment Station. Some 

 other varieties might be added to this list. In fact, 

 the only safe way is to mix the planting, and to 

 include some of the more self-fertile-blossom kinds, 

 such as "Baldwin, Ben Davis, Fallawater, Jannet, 

 Oldenburg, Rhode Island Greening, 

 Astrachan, Smith's Cider, " etc. (And 

 even some of these are self-sterile in 

 some localities and under some cir- 

 cumstances ! So I again say, ' * Mix. ' ' ) 

 PRUNING. Apple trees should be 

 cut back (so as not to grow too high) , 

 thinned out (so as to let sunshine and 

 air into the head), and trimmed up 

 (to permit of necessary horse cultiva- 

 tion) . For general pruning directions, see Chapter V. 

 Moderate, regular trimming is preferable to heavy, 



AUTUMN'S 

 FULFILLMENT 



