ESSAY ON FRUIT GROWING. 
449 
location — First, with respect to soil and culture^ and Second. 
with respect to atmospheric influence. 
Of the soil I have spoken, and we must take it .as we find 
it, choosing the dryest and leanest of the prairie soil for the 
apple, and all other fruits which are apt to suffer from excess 
of food in the soil. A f:w words about culture, which should 
be so conducted as.-to secure -the complete ripening of the 
wood. Thorough culture, early in the season, with very little 
or no stirring of the soil after midsummer. 
Mulchjing is the perfection of.culture on the prairie, and with 
the abundance of straw and litter they afford, is worthy of 
constant and permanent use, provided always, that the trunk'of 
the tree should be well banked with earth in the fall, to pre¬ 
vent the mice from eating off the bark. 
I will now speak of the effect of atmospheric influences. 
An elevated^ cool aspect for the orchard, will do much 
towards inducing an early maturity of the tree. As I have 
often said and now would reiterate, the cold winds of autumn 
and winter are among our best friends; inducing an early 
maturity, and pi%serving an equal temperature at times of ex¬ 
treme heat and cold. 
This position, taken from observations made in 1856, in this 
state, I have seen no reason to forsake. In fact I have found 
that about the only good and promising prairie orchards are 
situated on the cold sides of the swells and bluffs, except in 
rare cases where the orchard has been planted in a very thin 
soil, lying upon a gravel or limestone base. 
FortunaWy for the fruit-grower, these two grand natura 
means of securing maturity and hardiness are*so intimatelyl 
associated in the formation of this prairie, that in all of the 
rolling districts, there is an abundance of the finest locations 
this latitude affords, both in respect to soil and aspect. 
The subject of protection to prairie orchards is one of much 
importance, but which is receiving so much attention from 
more ardent advocates, that I need only say that we should 
not rush to either extreme of close protection or naked ex¬ 
posure. 
Ag. Tn.—29. 
