238 THE POME FRUITS 



The shield bud is commonly used, and it is inserted into 

 the stock from 2 to 4 inches above the ground. After the 

 bud begins to grow the old top of the tree is cut off and the 

 budded variety is allowed to grow and to produce the new 

 tree. 



Soil. — The apple does the best on a deep open clay loam. 

 The soil should be well drained, either naturally or artificially. 

 However, the apple is very cosmopolitan and can be grown 

 successfully on almost any soil if it is well provided with 

 available plant food. The soil for the apple should, how- 

 ever, be retentive of moisture and be rich in plant food, 

 because it is impossible to raise good fruit on poor soil. 

 Sufficient moisture can generally be secured by mulching the 

 ground with either manure or straw if water is the limiting 

 factor. Occasionally, the newer soils in some regions are 

 too rich in plant food, and such soils sometimes cause the 

 apple to grow too rank and it does not set fruit. 



The subsoil should not be too near the surface, especially 

 if it is very hard and retentive of moisture. A subsoil of 

 this nature prevents good drainage and restricts the growth 

 of the roots. "Where such a subsoil exists, and the trees 

 must be planted in such a location, it is well to break up the 

 hard pan by exploding a medium charge of dynamite in 

 each hole. This procedure will loosen up the soil so that 

 the roots can penetrate it to a greater depth. It also pro- 

 vides better drainage. 



Planting. — The soil for planting the apple should be well 

 prepared. The preparation should be equal to that which 

 is required for corn. The work of planting the trees will 

 be greatly facilitated if the land is furrowed out both ways 

 with a large plow and the trees set at the intersections. In 

 the setting of a tree the hole should be made large enough 

 to take in all of the roots without the crowding of any of them. 

 The roots should be spread out evenly on the bottom of the 

 hole. The fine top soil should be carefully worked among 

 them so as not to leave any air spaces between or under 

 the roots. The soil should be pressed firmly about the 

 roots, and if it is in the proper condition for planting it 

 cannot be firmed too much. 



