The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-01-03
LOCATIONS OF ORCHARDS
A paper read by Charles Teubner be-
fore the State Horticultural Society
at Springfield

nv oEAAc /
For this state, the locations best
suited for an orchard are the
Loess hills adjacent to the Missouri
river Tor other rivers because the
moisture arising from the river
spreads over the adjoining country
tempering the atmosphere, moisten-
ing the soil and refreshing the trees.
In such localities frost is less liable to
injure fruit buds, owing to the tenn
perlng influence Of the constantly
arising vapors Except where ice pre-
vents this and the moisture absorbed
by the soil and also the leaves,
especially in a hot, dry spell, is often
OF vital assistance to the trees, small
as the benefit may seem. The moist
ure given off by a large body Of water
no doubt also assists In retarding the
evaporation of the soil, and the
Transportation Of the trees at night
and during cloudy days.
At my former home Herman, Mo-
during the "sixties" there occurred
several years when u peach trees,
on a ridge close to the Missouri river,
bore a fair crop Of fruit, when two or
three miles away from the river the
peach buds we're killed. ANY n
familiar with the hills adjoining this
river must have noticed that wheat
aud blue grass grow later in fall aud
grow earlier in spring than where
located several miles from it's banks.
L remember, too, an island three
miles above our town where peaches
were said to never fail. What / have
stated in favor of the Missouri river
applies 10 a minor degree to other
Streams. But, whilst such locations
are desirable they are not necessary,
because orchards, where grown on
favorable soil and given the attention
they she uid have, do we'll almost
everywhere in this state. 1t is
mostly in years Of very %upfavor-
able weather that the location near a
large body Of water is a decided
advantage. | need scarcely add that
commercial orchards should be located
as near a railroad shipping point as
possible.
Many planters believe an ca tern
slope. to be the only desirable one fol
an orchard, and timber protection Of
great advantage. But | have seer
many orchards doing well, no matter
to what points of the compass the
land sloped. In some years orchards
on southern and western slopes have
done better than those on eastern o.
northern slopes, and again in othe'
years the results were reversed. Ii
seasons of severe and %protracteC
drouths orchards on a south or ives
! slope are apt to suffer more than thos,
on east or north slopes, because thu
: suns rays draw more moisture from
= the soil and the heat has a detri
: mental effect on the .rees because /
rs more intense where the suns ray
strike the earth at or near a RICH
angle, which they do on such loca
' lions just when the temperature /
= highest, i. e. ear the hour of 3 p m
9 AS to elevation. As a rule / prere
, an elevated, level, but well dfaineI
: site; next an east slope; then a south
west or north slope, in the orde
> named. However, l do not conside
the lay Of the land of paramount i'm
portance. Good, we'll drained soil
: proper cultivation and care aremucI
. more important. Elevated sites ar
VI preferred for several reasons. Frost
l are not so likely to damage the blossom
= and fruit on a hill top as 10 a valley
2 Then, 100, after p%rotracted rains an
: cloudy weather the leaves, blossom
or fruit, as well as the soil, dry O
: quicker; the wind prevents injuriou
l. insects from inhicting as much dan
y age as in sheltered locations. We
- here again the advantage is mainl
during very u~nfavorable seasons,
! have seen some apple orchards on
northern and also on other exposure
i seldom bear good, clean fruit, willis
= other orchards on lower ground Dol
!, fine fruit. In fact the largest apple
and biggest crop on the largest tre'
l ever saw grew In Loutre Islau
% bottoms on the north bank of II
al Missouri river. These effects wei
10 mostly due to the surroundings. III
os orchards last mentioned had a stead
% and plentiful supply Of moistur