SOILS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. 37 
Exports of apples from the United States at five principal eastern ports. 
Port. 
1912 
1910 
Bushels. 
437,611 
609,041 
649 
158,717 
168 
Bushels. 
170,013 
566, 926 
New York 
39 
Portland, Me 
67,748 
92 
The States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, 
and Pennsylvania include approximately one-fourth of the popula- 
tion of the United States, and it is apparent from the above figures 
that Massachusetts and Connecticut are very fortunate not only in 
home markets for fruits but also in facilities for exporting whenever 
prices at home make it advisable to ship apples out of the country. 
These States have, however, an unusually large proportion of non- 
agricultural population, and local markets are exceptionally good in 
that they are well distributed and consume a relatively large quan- 
titj of fruit for which remunerative prices are paid. This gives no 
small advantage over States that have to ship a much greater dis- 
tance to these same markets, but in order to take full advantage of 
these excellent opportunities the grading and packing of fruit should 
be greatly improved. There are already sufficient exceptions to in- 
ferior grading and packing effectively to demonstrate the superior 
profit of better methods, and by them the general grower should be 
guided. The importance of the fruit industry in southern New 
England necessitates a better development of business methods in 
handling and marketing the crop, and there is already a very no- 
ticeable and commendable tendency to effect these ends. 
RELATION OF SOIL CHARACTERS TO CROP AND VARIETAL 
ADAPTATION. 
While the statement that " a given variety of apple, for the most 
successful growth within its general climatic region, requires a cer- 
tain kind or condition of soil" seems incontrovertible, inasmuch as 
it is so well substantiated by orchard results under a wide range of 
conditions, the reason why this should be so is not so easily stated. 
It seems to depend fundamentally upon the water-holding capacity, 
or rather the moisture coefficient, of the soil. The capacity of a soil 
to hold capillary water, which is the only kind plant growth can 
use, depends on (1) the soil texture (i. e., the size of the soil grain) ; 
(2) the soil structure or the grouping of these tiny grains into clus- 
ters, thus making it granular; (3) the amount of humus in the soil; 
and (i) the degree of soil tilth, which is a combined effect of the 
foregoing and tillage. 
