a north or northeast slope where it can be obtained and at 

 any rate avoid a south or west one. 



Provision must also be made such that water will not remain 

 on the ground for any length of time during the spring thaws or 

 after heavy rains. 



Where the rainfall is not heavy, as in North Dakota, one 

 should avoid a sandy or gravelly soil. In mellow soil the roots of 

 strawberries extend down two and one-half feet and of the other 

 fruits probably as deep. From this fact will be seen the necessity 

 of providing a place having a deep mellow soil free from gumbo 

 and of course from alkali. 



Any soils excepting those naturally too light will be benefitted 

 by a deep plowing and subsequent firming down with a harrow. 

 We have not found it necessary nor even profitable to fertilize the 

 soil at the station on which fruit is growing. Of course soil having 

 a much less degree of fertility would be benefitted by plowing 

 under a good dressing of well rotted stable manure. Unless it 

 is so thoroughly decomposed as to mix readily with the soil it- 

 will be better not to use any. It is generally recommended that 

 currants and gooseberries have heavier soil than raspberries and 

 while that rule may be successfully applied in localities having vari- 

 able soil and a heavy rainfall it is sufficient to say under our own 

 conditions that the deepest and best soil should be selected on 

 which to grow all of our fruits. While there are undoubted diffi- 

 culties to be encountered in growing fruit in North Dakota, still 

 some of the fruits may be made to do unusually well here and 

 considering the high prices to be obtained others are quite as 

 profitable here as in more favored localities. 



PLUMS. 



The plum is the most valuable fruit for North Dakota and 

 doubtless will be for years to come. Wild plums of many types, 

 some of them of excellent quality are found growing in all parts 

 of the state. The demand for these now far exceeds the supply 

 and the general cultivation of the plum should begin at once. 



Many of the thickets contain trees bearing fruit of good 

 quality and these may be transplanted to the home garden with 

 profit. A hundred trees thus selected twelve years ago have been 

 growing upon the station grounds since and have been the source 

 of hundreds of seedlings that are now coming into bearing. In 

 this way improved varieties may be obtained that are of course 

 well suited to the different localities in which they are grown. 



