1^2 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



FRUIT TREES 0\ SAXDV SOIL. 



X the March number of your journal I notice an inquiry from Mr. S. 

 (i. Fischer, of Leamington, Ont, about fruit trees on sandy soil, with 

 (juicksand sub-soil. In your answer you say that plums, pears, and 

 apples do better on heavier soils. I know that that has been the gen- 

 eral belief, but experience sometimes changes our popular theories- 

 Now, I would say that here we have sand ridges, intermediate sand 

 with quicksand bottom and swamp muck land, besides this, nearly one-half of 

 the country is clay in all of its variations, from clay loam with some gravel, to 

 hard, heavy clay. Of course, the clay loam is the most natural for the growth of 

 these trees, I think, because it usually is dug, but the best small fruit plantations 

 and the best orchards of plum, pear, and apple is on this sand with quicksand 

 bottom, whigh a few years ago was coveied with pine stumps, while between was 

 only a coarse grass, such as is always seen on such cold lands. Mr. John M. 

 Huffman, of this city, took such a piece and put in under-drains four or five feet 

 below the surface, and commenced growing small fruits. Six years ago, I sold 

 to him 25 Lombard plum trees, of which 24 grew ; on the fourth year he picked 

 and sold 50 bushels of plums at $1.50 per bushel— $75 from the 24 trees. Last 

 year was the off year, but he had one-half bushel per tree, same price. Now his 

 trees are as large again as two years ago, and promise as well in proportion. S. 

 D. Willard says, "plant plums and pears 8x16, this gives 340 trees per acre," so 

 from this you will see that so far the prospects are good for a reasonable profit 

 per acre. This is the sixth year from planting. Pears planted at the .same time 

 yielded about half as well in money — I mean, on the 4th year. He has planted 

 a good many more trees on the same soil. 



Joseph Penten and R. S. Benthuff have small fruits and other larger fruits on 

 same soil, and are both very successful. It must be remembered that these men 

 all under-drain very deeply. It is a question how deep they may put the drains 

 and have them successful. The deepest they have them — that is, five or six feet 

 deep — is better than more shallow, and the question is, with them, would it still 

 make an improvement to have them deeper? These men all give high cultiva- 

 tion and an abundance of manure. 



S. I). Willard, of Geneva, New York, says that a few years ago a company 

 was formed to plant an orchard on the south banks of the James' river in Vir- 

 ginia, about half way from Richmond to Hampton Rhodes. The land was high, 

 rolling, and sandy, a coarse, clean sand, 60 feet deep to the level of the river. 

 On this ground 22,000 pear trees were set out, and they have proved a success. 

 The sixth year they paid a dividend of 10 per cent on the stock, and have stead- 

 ily up to 50 i)er cent. 



There is no reason for our friend l"'ischer to be discouraged if he can gel an 

 outlet for good drainage. If not, it is of little use to try to raise anything on 

 such land; the longer that he works it, the worse off he will be. Petler work 

 out for 75c. per day than to lose his lime. 



Yours truly, L. H. RiCE. 



