132 



The apple-tree succeeds best in situations which are 

 neither high, nor remarkably low. In the former its 

 blossoms are frequently injured by cold winds, and in 

 the latter by spring frosts, particularly when the trees 

 are planted in the lowest part of a confined valley. 

 A south, or south-east, aspect is generally preferred, 

 on account of the disturbance of the west, and the 

 coldness of north winds : but orchards succeed well 

 in all aspects ; and where the violence of the west- 

 wind is broken by an intervening rise of ground, a 

 south-west aspect will be found equal to any. The 

 trees attain their largest stature in a deep strong loam ; 

 but will grow well in all rich soils, which are neither 

 excessively sandy, nor wet. An orchard generally is 

 most productive of fruit when it is situated near the 

 fold-yard, and is in consequence much trodden and 

 manured by the cattle in the winter ; and hence it 

 will not unfrequently be found advantageous to plant 

 on the site of any old orchard. The ground, how- 

 ever, in which old apple-trees have grown, is esteemed 

 very unfavourable to young ones. \Mien, from con- 

 tiguity to the house, an orchard is planted in this 

 kind of ground, the pear and apple should be made 

 to succeed each other. The roots of the pear-tree de- 

 scend to a greater depth in the ground than those of 

 the apple-tree ; and as the stocks of neither of these 

 fmits will afford proper nutriment to the other, it 

 may be questioned whether their action on the soil be 

 perfectly similar. {Knight on the Apple^ 67.) 



