716 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXII. No. 570. 



Porter's black loam ' when this type occurs in 

 sheltered mountain coves.' In this case the 

 ' rich, mellow and deep ' soil which this variety 

 requires is of little avail when not in con- 

 junction with a sheltered physiographic posi- 

 tion which shall so determine the conditions 

 of exposure and aeration as to produce fruit 

 without any cloudiness or imperfection of 

 skin, as either of these conditions detracts to 

 a particular degree from the value of this 

 variety in the somewhat exacting markets to 

 which it goes. 



It was also found in the Albemarle area 

 that a loamy phase of the Cecil clay was very 

 satisfactory for Winesap apples, but not as 

 good for the York Imperial, though these 

 varieties seem to do equally well on the 

 Hagerstown loam in the valley of Virginia. 

 If, however, lime be applied to the Cecil clay, 

 the York Imperial is produced as successfully 

 as the Winesap. This indicates one or both 

 of two things : that the soil is- acid and that 

 the York Imperial can not overcome this tend- 

 ency as well as the Winesap, in which case a 

 chemical corrective is required; or that the 

 former variety is more susceptible to the unde- 

 sirable influences of a soil with texture as stiff 

 as that of the Cecil clay, but that this textural 

 condition is somewhat ameliorated by the 

 application of lime. 



Near the southern limit of the apple belt 

 increased elevation so modifies climatic con- 

 ditions that fruit is successfully produced be- 

 tween the altitudes of 2,500 feet and 3,500 

 feet in a latitude where at lower levels fruit 

 does not succeed, and within the zone men- 

 tioned the climatic relations are further illus- 

 trated by the fact that near the lower elevation 

 apples do best in coves on the north side, 

 while in the higher mountains, where it is 

 cooler, south coves are equally good, or per- 

 haps even better, than the north coves.^ 



Other similar specific local problems re- 

 lating to variety, surface and climatic condi- 

 tions are not uncommon, and in each instance 

 ford Area, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Field Opera- 

 tions of the Bureau of Soils, 1901. 



^Report on the Mount Mitchell Area, U. S. 

 Dept. of Agriculture, Field Operations of the 

 Bureau of Soils, 1902. 



must be solved for the locality under consid- 

 eration. Aside from these local qualifications, 

 however, a most important problem which may 

 not be evaded and is of much more general 

 scope remains in the selection of the soil, for 

 upon it depend in large measure the returns 

 from a long-term investment. 



In this selection of the soil the ideal to be 

 kept ever in mind is that soil which will pro- 

 duce the greatest quantity of fruit of the best 

 appearance and of the best quality for the 

 longest possible term of years; and he who 

 would be most successful must consider with 

 infinite care not only each of these desiderata 

 in its specific relation to the soil, but also the 

 combined relation of the three to the soil in 

 question. That is, the soil either must be 

 naturally productive or capable of being 

 brought to a high degree of productiveness; 

 its inherent characteristics must be such as 

 to produce fruit not only attractive in appear- 

 ance when marketed, but also of the highest 

 quality, if the producer is sufficiently far- 

 sighted to recognize that in the long run the 

 greatest profit is to come to him who from the 

 very beginning uses his every endeavor to 

 establish and to maintain permanently the 

 reputation of producing the highest possible 

 quality of fruit demanded, or for which a 

 demand can be created, in the best markets; 

 and finally the soil should be capable of sus- 

 taining trees in a profitable bearing condition 

 for a long term of years. 



Soils possessing one or two of these char- 

 acteristics are plentiful, and a large part of 

 the orchards already in existence not only 

 show conclusively certain very desirable traits 

 in such soils as exhibited in growth of tree or 

 in character of fruit, but also indicate the 

 importance of the other qualifications men- 

 tioned, if these orchards are to be a com- 

 mercial success. This is well illustrated, for 

 example, by orchards in the Middle States 

 located on a deep, sandy soil (the Miami 

 sand). This soil is found in a district noted 

 for its successful crops of apples, yet it pos- 

 sesses at most but two of the required attri- 

 butes. The color of the fruit produced is 

 excellent, and the quality thereof is very good. 



