458 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



seedlings of the crab hybrids or of the pure Pyrus baccata are much preferred 

 as the root stocks for those sections. Budding or crown-grafting is best 

 when these stocks are used. 



Dwarf apple trees are formed by grafting or budding on French Para- 

 dise stock, and semi-dwarfs by working on doucin stock. They are much 

 used in Europe, but thus far have found little favor in America. 



Location and Soil for the Orchard. — Many orchards are permanently 

 handicapped by unsuitable locations, and many of their defects might 

 easily have been avoided by proper foresight and care. The chief character- 

 istics of the suitable location are good topography, proper soil, a convenient 

 water supply and ready access to market or good shipping points if the 

 orchard is to be commercial. A good topography is one that is moderately 

 rounded or sloping and is enough higher than its immediate surroundings 

 to give good drainage of cold air and water. Too much slope, however, 

 is always objectionable, and a grade of two or three per cent is usually 

 sufficient, especially if some sharper depression is near. The direction of 

 the slope is of little or no importance, except possibly near the northern 

 or southern limits of culture, in which cases the southern or northern slopes, 

 respectively, are generally best. 



The suitability of the soil seems to depend largely upon the character 

 of the subsoil, as good orchards occur on all classes of top soils, from dense 

 clays to light sands. A good subsoil is comparatively open and porous 

 for about one to three feet below the surface, and then becomes compact 

 enough to hold the moisture fairly well, but not so well as to give the trees 

 "wet feet." For the first six or eight inches, a loamy soil with a moderate 

 admixture of sand and gravel is usually very good. The so-called ironstone 

 soils, or those derived from many of the red shales or sandstones, are often 

 excellent. The presence of old and productive trees under similar condi- 

 tions in the neighborhood is also a valuable indication. 



Not all these conditions are needed, however. Many good home 

 orchards have been made with some of the conditions less favorable, and 

 their advantages are sufficient to warrant some risk in securing them. 



Varieties. — The proper selection of varieties for the location involved 

 is extremely important. Fortunately, much assistance can now be secured 

 from the pomologists, horticulturists and horticultural societies of the 

 various states, and also from the publications of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, such as Bulletin 151 of the Bureau of Plant Industry. Per- 

 sonal preferences and local experience should also be considered, whenever 

 available in reliable form, and the following general advice should be 

 useful. 



For the home orchard or local market, a much wider range and greater 

 number of varieties are desirable and generally available than for the com- 

 mercial orchard. Among the early varieties, named in the order of ripen- 

 ing, the Yellow Transparent, Oldenburg and Wealthy are among the best, 

 and they thrive practically across the continent. They are chiefly valuable 



