THE APPLE. 



51 



that in the Vine-growing countries of South 

 Europe. 



In the southern counties of England the 

 northerly slopes may be utilized under some 

 circumstances, but such are best suited for early 

 cooking Apples, when it is desired to prolong 

 the supply of those varieties. The chief diffi- 

 culty is in securing the thorough maturation of 

 the wood, so that health and fruit-bearing may 

 be continued. For this reason the upper por- 

 tions of such aspects, or a side open to the west, 

 help somewhat by providing exposure to the 

 sun's rays for a part of the day, though they 

 necessarily reach the trees very obliquely. 



Shelter is also important as already indicated, 

 and further details will be found in the chapter 

 on Orchards. It affects the trees in several 

 ways and at different times. When the flowers 

 are expanded, protection from high winds often 

 means the saving of a crop, if no other adverse 

 influences intervene. After the fruit is formed, 

 and especially when it is approaching the ripen- 

 ing state, shelter is even more important; while 

 there is the general safety of the trees to be 

 considered. 



Rainfall is a point that should have considera- 

 tion, for the Apple thrives under moist atmos- 

 pheric conditions, and an ample supply of 

 moisture in the soil without stagnation is essen- 

 tial. The east and west counties of Great 

 Britain differ greatly in the annual rainfall, 

 without taking into consideration the exceptional 

 records from high localities in Devonshire and 

 Westmoreland. In the eastern counties of 

 England there are many places where the yearly 

 rainfall ranges between 15 and 20 inches, while 

 near the western coast the average would be 

 almost double these figures. This has a material 

 bearing upon Apple culture, for in districts 

 where the rainfall is from 20 to 25 inches suc- 

 cess can be obtained in heavier soils than where 

 the annual average is nearer 40 inches. On the 

 other hand, in the region of heavy rainfall the 

 trees can be grown in lighter soils than in the 

 dry counties. This matter is too frequently 

 overlooked, yet in selecting positions for large 

 plantations it demands close attention. It often 

 affords an explanation of the diverse soil-condi- 

 tions under which Apples give good results. 



Soil. — The majority of substantial loams and 

 other fertile soils suited to the Apple contain 

 ample supplies for the growth of the tree in its 

 early stages, provided there be sufficient mois- 

 ture present to render the various substances 

 available to the roots. By chemical changes, 

 and by the action of soil organisms, various 



compounds are slowly reduced to a state in 

 which they can be absorbed by the roots; and 

 as far as growth only is concerned, this is 

 usually sufficient. When fruit-production com- 

 mences, a much larger additional strain is im- 

 posed upon the resources of the soil. From 

 analyses at the Cornell Experiment Station 

 (U.S.A.) it was determined that "five bushels 

 of Apples remove in round numbers 1 1 lbs. of 

 nitrogen, nearly 1 lb. of phosphoric acid, arid 

 16 lbs. of potash, and that the leaves of a tree 

 large enough to produce the Apples would 

 contain 10 lbs. of nitrogen, nearly 3 lbs. of 

 phosphoric acid, and 10 lbs. of potash". If the 

 bearing of heavy fruit crops continues over a 

 succession of years, there will be a gradual 

 exhaustion unless the soil is very rich in the 

 constituents named, or it receives the best 

 cultivation with judicious manurial treatment. 

 This distinction must be remembered, namely, 

 that a soil which can ensure the development 

 of a vigorous Apple-tree to fruit-bearing age, 

 may yet prove unequal to the task of maintain- 

 ing it in good condition over a long period of 

 fruit-bearing when so much is being annually 

 removed from the land. 



It is evident, therefore, that the elements of 

 fertility must either be present in considerable 

 proportions, or sufficient must be added to 

 compensate for what is being lost. The physi- 

 cal constitution of the soil and mechanical 

 means of amelioration will exercise a material 

 influence on the results. The water-retaining 

 power of soils and the conditions favouring the 

 even distribution of moisture are mainly de- 

 pendent upon the coarseness or fineness of the 

 particles, and upon the proportion of clay, sand, 

 or humus that may be present. By the various 

 operations of digging, trenching, and hoeing, 

 some of these conditions can be modified to 

 such an extent that the nature and productive- 

 ness of a soil can be greatly altered without 

 direct manurial additions. The extremes most 

 difficult to deal with are where coarse stony 

 gravel, clay, or chalk forms a deep subsoil im- 

 mediately below a thin surface soil. As regards 

 the Apple, the first-named is the worst, and 

 should be avoided whenever possible. Gravel 

 forms an effective barrier to the circulation of 

 moisture, as while rain passes away with great 

 rapidity, there is little rising of water from 

 below. In the case of clay and hard chalk, 

 water circulation is very slow and ineffective in 

 times of drought. With a good surface soil 2 

 to 3 feet deep the subsoil is of less importance, 

 provided it be not of a nature to induce the 



