67 



Selection of Site. 



In order that an orchard may thrive and bring satisfactory return?, it is 

 essential that the grower should consider its location of primary importance, 

 and therefore that he should take into consideration those factors which are 

 relative to the selection of a suitable site. 



Perhaps the first factor that -should be given attention is that dependent 

 upon the variety or varieties of fruit which are to be grown. An immense amount 

 of experimental work has been carried on, not only by the Experimental Farms 

 and similar institutions, but by many individual growers, to ascertain the classes 

 and varieties of fruits suitable for different sections of the country. Much 

 information along this line may be obtained from the bulletins of the Federal and 

 Provincial Governments, and in various portions of this work general lists of the 

 best commercial varieties for the principal fruitgrowing areas of Canada will be 

 found. These lists are based largely upon the personal observations of the writer 

 during the past summer, supplemented by the experience of representative men 

 throughout the different provinces. 



As sloping land is usually better drained than level land, the site should be 

 so located as to secure this advantage if possible, although it is not entirely 

 necessary, thorough underdraining being advised as extremely desirable under 

 almost all conditions. Whether the slope should have a northern or a southern 

 exposure has long been a debatable question. Trees on a southern or a south- 

 western slope are naturally more liable to sunscald, while an orchard located on 

 a northern or eastern slope, will run considerable risk of injury from root-killing, 

 in sections where the winters are severe. Generally speaking, it is perhaps better 

 to have the site on a northern or eastern slope, and to obviate danger from winter 

 killing by the growth of cover crops or the use of some other form of mulch. 



Owing to the great variety of soils which are to be found even in a limited 

 locality, the question of suitability of soil for the purpose intended,' should be 

 given careful attention. It often happens that when this factor is lost sight of, 

 a mistake will have been made at the outset that will make all the difference 

 between success and failure. Many soils, from their nature, are quite beyond 

 successful improvement and should be avoided, but there are also types, appar- 

 ently of little value, which can by proper drainage, careful methods of cultivation 

 and fertilizing, or the artificial supplying of the requisite moisture, be brought into 

 a state of high fertility and productiveness. Canada is fortunate, however, in 

 having large areas of land particularly well suited by nature for the production 

 of fruit, available in all the provinces where fruitgrowing is being carried on. 



Climatic conditions, on the other hand, are quite beyond the control of the 

 grower, being largely dependent upon altitude and latitude, proximity to water, 

 thermometric extremes, and so forth, and while some useful data in this connec- 

 tion may be obtained from official reports, it is safer to be guided by the exper- 

 ience of neighbouring growers, and careful enquiry should always be made from 

 disinterested parties regarding the suitability of any particular district in this 

 respect, especially with reference to those newer sections of the country which 

 are being opened up and exploited in the interest of the fruit industry, or some- 

 times that of the real estate man. 



The above mentioned factors have been said, and truly so, to be essential, 

 for if the orchard is given proper care, they are the principal ones which affect its 

 successful growth and subsequent production of crops of fruit; at the same 

 time, if the grower intends to produce fruit on a commercial scale, there is one 

 more important feature to be considered in choosing an orchard site, namely, 

 the marketing and transportation facilities. 



The demand for Canadian fruit in the export market and in those parts of 

 Canada where its production is either slight or non-existent, is a very heavy one, 

 and one that will continue to grow and expand as the population increases and 



22553— 5£ 



