New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 529 
lands but in general, a cold, heavy, close soil is a poor one for 
any of the fruits. 
With the location and land selected the next question is, 
What varieties shall I plant? This question we have touched 
upon in part in previous paragraphs and it only remains here 
to be said that out of the thousands of varieties of the several 
fruits even the few best ones may be most readily characterized 
by their faults, showing how necessary it is to make a careful 
choice of varieties. An intimate first-hand knowledge of varie- 
ties in his own locality is the only way by which a man can 
become competent to choose the sorts to plant. Look a little 
askance at novelties. An unbridled passion for “ new crea- 
tions” has been the downfall of many orchards. 
It is about as difficult to select the trees of the several fruits 
as it is to make a choice of varieties. It is not of prime im. 
portance but it is true and therefore worth paying attention to 
that trees grown near home are somewhat better than those 
brought from a distance. It is necessary to look out in buying 
that trees are true to name, free from pests and that they still 
have the breath of life. It would seem that only the simple 
would need to be told this. But I speak within bounds when I 
say that there is scarcely a fruit grower the country over, big 
or little, who has not suffered at the hands of some unscru- 
pulous tree-dealer in substituted varieties, through the introduc- 
tion of some pest, or through buying dead or worthless trees. 
And the buyer can only “grin and bear it.” It is better, if 
possible, that the fruit grower have his trees propagated from 
individuals of known good qualities with the hope that these 
qualities will be handed down. To do this it may be necessary 
for the grower to furnish buds or scions. 
Unfortunately few fruit growers concern themselves with the 
kind of stocks their trees are worked upon. Yet this is a most 
important matter. Apples may be bought upon Paradise, 
Doucin, or home grown or French grown standards. Now the 
first two named are probably only suitable for the amateur and 
of the standards, those on the foreign seedlings are usually 
