SOILS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. 59 



the Gloucester loam gives much better results with Hubbardston 

 than the heavier subsoil phase but this variety is not commercially 

 popular in the eastern half of Massachusetts where so much of the 

 lighter phase occurs. Neither does it do well on the Gloucester soils 

 of Northwest Massachusetts where the elevation is 1,000 feet or more. 



In one Essex County orchard, Hubbardston is excellent as grown 

 on a surface soil ranging from heavy fine sandy loam to light loam 

 with subsoil of fine sandy loam (Gloucester fine sandy loam). There 

 is good local elevation, though the orchard is slightly less than 100 

 feet above sea level. The productivity of the land has been well 

 maintained, so in this respect it may be compared with the Con- 

 necticut Valley soils mentioned. Stable manure has been the prin- 

 cipal fertilizer, and the orchard is fenced and used as a poultry 

 yard. The number of hens is not sufficient to prevent some growth 

 of grass. Until a few years ago, wood ashes were applied in small 

 amounts. The trees show a thrifty growth, and the fruit keeps well. 

 The color of the fruit is said to be superior to that from trees on a 

 heavier soil in another part of the same orchard. 



In most places in Connecticut, and especially in the southern part, 

 the Hubbardston is not held in high esteem, and it seems not as 

 well grown as farther north in Massachusetts. 



Sutton (Beauty) is adapted, so far as we have been able to 

 observe, to about the same range of soils as the Hubbardston. In 

 the town of Sutton where it originated, and in the surrounding 

 section, it seems especially promising on the Gloucester fine sandy 

 loam. Sufficient plantings have not been found, however, for 

 adequate comparison on a commercial scale. 



SOILS FAVORABLE FOR THE NORTHERN SPY. 



This variety is one of the most exacting in soil requirements. To 

 obtain good quality of fruit — i. e., fine texture, juiciness, and high 

 flavor — the soil must be moderately heavy, and for the first two 

 qualities alone the " green " Rhode Island Greening soil would be 

 admirable. The fact that the Northern Spy is a red apple, however, 

 makes it imperative that the color be well developed, and the skin 

 free from the greasy tendency. This necessitates a fine adjustment 

 of soil conditions, for the heaviest of the soils adapted to the Rhode 

 Island Greening produce a Northern Spy with greasy skin and 

 usually of inferior color. The habit of tree growth of this variety, 

 moreover, is such as to require careful attention. Its tendency to 

 grow upright seems to be accentuated by too clayey soils, if well 

 enriched, and such soils tend to promote growth faster than the tree 

 is able to mature well. On the other hand, the Spy from sandy soils, 

 while possessing good color and a clear skin, is often unsatisfactory 

 in texture and flavor, especially if the fruit be held for very long in 



