THE COUNTRY HOME [CHAPTER 
magnificent quartette. Our children will eat more 
apples, and they will hear less of some of the most 
destructive diseases. 
The soil of an orchard requires to be strong; and 
in general almost all sorts thrive best in clay — al- 
though there are exceptions. It must be remem- 
bered always that the production of large crops of 
apples, or of any other fruit, is a heavy draft on the 
fertility of the soil; and unless means are used to 
replace the elements that are withdrawn, soil ex- 
haustion will follow. ‘That sort of food which is 
needed in one soil will not, however, be suited to 
all others. An apple orchard can be renewed in 
its fertility most conveniently by plowing under 
what are called cover crops — in the main clovers, 
peas, buckwheat, and cow peas. The object is 
not only to give direct food to the trees, but to add 
to the humus or decaying vegetable matter. Legu- 
minous plants, including the clovers, beans and 
peas, have the peculiar ability of taking nitrogen 
from the air, and for this reason become the 
very best of crops to be plowed under in an apple 
orchard. 
As a rule, do not set young apple trees in vacan- 
cies that occur in an old orchard; certainly not 
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