92 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
the direct bearing it will have upon the 
nitrogen supply. A soil filled or covered 
with humus or vegetable fiber readily 
absorbs and retains a vastly greater 
amount of water than a soil depleted of 
its humus by frequent and injudicious 
cropping or cultivation. The humus also 
acts as an effective medium of insulation 
against extremes of cold and heat. 
F. H. Bartov, 
Wooster, Ohio 
Forest Soil in Idaho 
Soils from which native forests have 
been cleared are best adapted to growing 
the apple. These are in good physical 
condition so that ample surface drainage 
and subdrainage are supplied; besides 
they have a plentiful supply of plant food 
which is essential to a healthy wood 
growth and a finely developed, well ma- 
tured crop of fruit. It has been repeatedly 
noted that fruit from such soils reach 
the highest degree of perfection both from 
point of quality and color. However, soils 
which may be brought to a state similar 
to that found on old forest sites, may be 
regarded as being well adapted to the 
growth of the apple. 
Medium clay loams adapt themselves 
admirably to the apple, and if these pos- 
sess, or are made to possess, the follow- 
ing requisites, orchards may be planted 
upon them successfully. These impor- 
tant requisites are: Good water drainage, 
good texture and sufficient richness in 
plant food. 
Where good natural drainage is not 
found, tile drainage should be provided, 
because apple trees will not endure ‘wet 
feet.’ The phrase, ‘good texture,’ means 
that a soil possessing this characteristic 
will work up loose and mellow without 
being hard and lumpy. Such soils are 
easily worked and hold plenty of moist- 
ure. Most of the good orchard sites in 
Idaho are sufficiently rich in plant food, 
so there is no direct need of applying 
plant food at the time of planting. 
J. R. SHinn, 
Moscow, Idaho. 
North Carolina Soils 
Where virgin soil from the forest 
cannot be obtained for orchard planting, 
only rich land should be used. As an 
orchard will occupy the ground for many 
years, very thorough preparation should 
be given the soil before planting the 
trees. Never set trees on poor or dry 
land, for if they do start they are go 
stunted that it is next to impossible to 
ever get them to make a satisfactory 
orchard. Land kept in good tilth and 
used for cultivated crops can be expected 
to give reasonably good results in start- 
ing and growing orchard trees. Lands 
used for grain crops should be shunned 
for orchard work, as they are almost cer- 
tain to be of the dryest and poorest char- 
acter. Old pasture lands are very poor 
for tree culture. They may be fairly rich 
from the droppings of the stock, but the 
humus in them is ruined by trampling 
and their mechanical texture is at its 
very worst. A good previous crop is a 
heavy growth of some kind of leguminous 
plant. This crop should be plowed down 
to furnish humus for the trees. It is 
more or less difficult and expensive to 
improve land after trees are planted; so 
it is best to spare no pains on previous 
preparation. Preparatory to setting the 
trees the soil should be deeply plowed. 
Clean surface cultivation should be given 
to conserve moisture. A liberal dressing 
of manure is always beneficial. The man- 
ure should never be put in the holes in 
which the trees are planted, but it should 
be incorporated in the soil by general 
cultivation. 
Stumpy Land 
It is by no means necessary that a 
virgin soil should be cleared of stumps 
and stomes before planting the orchard 
trees. Unless a stump is actually in the 
place where a tree should be set, it is not 
necessary to go to the trouble and ex- 
pense of having it removed. It is much 
cheaper to let stumps rot out gradually, 
and while they are doing so they are 
supplying humus to the growing fruit 
trees. 
Stony Land 
Stony land is not at all objectionable 
for commercial orcharding. On steep lo- 
cations they help very greatly to hold the 
rich soil from being washed away. It is 
probably for this very reason that in 
