SOIL PROFILE AND ROOT PENETRATION BY APPLE TREES O 



In 1928 the Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening constituted 50 

 percent of the total number of bushels of apples produced in the 

 Hilton area, Twenty Ounce 9 percent, and Ben Davis 8 percent. No 

 other variety constituted more than 5 percent of the total number of 

 bushels. 



The adaptation of other tree fruits to soils is generally recognized. 

 Sweet cherries are generally believed to require the sandier, best- 

 drained soils. Next in order as to drainage are sour cherries, peaches, 

 apples, pears, and quinces. For the last-named fruit, soils are used 

 which are so poorly drained and wet that no other tree fruit can be 

 grown on them. 



In the western part of the county the growing of pears is confined 

 almost entirely to heavy, imperfectly drained soils. Near Ironde- 

 quoit Bay and the Genesee River, however, this fruit is grown rather 

 extensively on well-drained sandy soils. 



DRAINAGE 



The northern part of Monroe County and a considerable portion of 

 this apple-growing district occupies an old, nearly level lake plain 

 with poor natural drainage. 



Attention has been called to the injury believed to have been caused 

 in the orchards of this district by excess precipitation in 1925, 1926, 

 and 1927. In May 1931 examination was made of a number of 

 orchards in the western part of Monroe County 4 to determine the 

 soil and ground-water conditions. Borings with a soil auger were 

 made, where possible, at regular intervals throughout the orchards and 

 records kept of the character of soil and the height to which ground 

 water rose in the holes. 



Of 500 borings made between the middle of May and the first of 

 June ground water came into more than 60 percent. In some it 

 rose to a depth of only a few inches in the bottom of a hole 5 feet deep, 

 but in many others it rose to within 2 feet or less of the surface a few 

 minutes after the hole had been bored. In borings made during 

 June, ground water was found less frequently than earlier in the sea- 

 son, collecting in 37 percent of more than 400 holes. Rainfall during 

 this period was considerably above normal in May, but below normal 

 in April and June. 



In these borings a close relation was found between moisture con- 

 ditions of the subsoil and the soil type. Dark-colored soils occupying 

 slight depressions and flat areas were found to have the highest water 

 table, free ground water coming into practically all soils of this kind, 

 in many places rising to within a few inches of the surface. Brown 

 soils having mottled gray and rust-brown layers in the upper subsoil 

 and compact, nearly impervious layers in the deep subsoil showed 

 better drainage conditions, ground water being found in about one 

 half the borings made in such soils. In these soils the depth to free 

 water was also found to be greater than in the dark-colored soils. 

 Brown soils having subsoils free from mottling or but slightly mottled, 

 and without compact or impervious layers in the deep subsoil, were 

 found to have the best drainage conditions. In but few places was 

 ground water found in such soils at a depth of 5 feet. 



4 Oskamp, J., and Batjer, L. P. SOILS in relation to fruit GROWING IN NEW YORK. PART n. SIZE, 

 PRODUCTION, AND ROOTING HABIT OF APPLE TREES ON DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES IN THE HILTON AND MORTON 



areas, monroe county. N.Y. (Cornell) Agr. Expt. Sta. Bui. 550, 45 p., illus. 1932. 



