SOILS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. 59 
the Gloucester loam gives much better results with Hubbardston 
than the heavier subsoil phase but this variety is not commercially 
popular in the eastern half of Massachusetts where so much of the 
lighter phase occurs. Neither does it do well on the Gloucester soils 
of Northwest Massachusetts where the elevation is 1,000 feet or more. 
In one Essex County orchard, Hubbardston is excellent as grown 
on a surface soil ranging from heavy fine sandy loam to light loam 
with subsoil of fine sandy loam (Gloucester fine sand}^ loam). There 
is good local elevation, though the orchard is slightly less than 100 
feet above sea level. The productivity of the land has been well 
maintained, so in this respect it may be compared with the Con- 
necticut Valley soils mentioned. Stable manure has been the prin- 
cipal fertilizer, and the orchard is fenced and used as a poultry 
yard. The number of hens is not sufficient to prevent some growth 
of grass. Until a few years ago, wood ashes were applied in small 
amounts. The trees show a thrifty growth, and the fruit keeps well. 
The color of the fruit is said to be superior to that from trees on a 
heavier soil in another part of the same orchard. 
In most places in Connecticut, and especially in the southern part, 
the Hubbardston is not held in high esteem, and it seems not as 
well grown as farther north in Massachusetts. 
Sutton (Beauty) is adapted, so far as we have been able to 
observe, to about the same range of soils as the Hubbardston. In 
the town of Sutton where it originated, and in the surrounding 
section, it seems especially promising on the Gloucester fine sandy 
loam. Sufficient plantings have not been found, however, for 
adequate comparison on a commercial scale. 
SOILS FAVORABLE FOR THE NORTHERN SPY. 
This variety is one of the most exacting in soil requirements. To 
obtain good quality of fruit — i. e., fine texture, juiciness, and high 
flavor — the soil must be moderately heavy, and for the first two 
qualities alone the "green" Khode Island Greening soil would be 
admirable. The fact that the Northern Spy is a red apple, however, 
makes it imperative that the color be well developed, and the skin 
free from the greasy tendency. This necessitates a fine adjustment 
of soil conditions, for the heaviest of the soils adapted to the Rhode 
Island Greening produce a Northern Spy with greasy skin and 
usually of inferior color. The habit of tree growth of this variety, 
moreover, is such as to require careful attention. Its tendency to 
grow upright seems to be accentuated by too clayey soils, if well 
enriched, and such soils tend to promote growth faster than the tree 
is able to mature well. On the other hand, the Spy from sandy soils, 
while possessing good color and a clear skin, is often unsatisfactory 
in texture and flavor, especially if the fruit be held for very long in 
