The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-03-08
Soils Of Southern New Eng
land Adapted to Special
Varieties of Apples.
gDepartment OF Agriculture Issues Re-
port Containing Information De-
signed to Help orchardists
In This section.

port Containing Information De-
signed to Help orchardists
In This Section.
washington. March s.-As a result
or an extensive study of the soils in
apple and peach orchards, the Bureau
OF Soils of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture has issued Bull
letin 40 Soils of Massa chusetts and
Connecticut. With Especial Reference
to Apples and Peaches which dis
cusses in detail the ,adaptability of
different types of soils to different
varieties of tree fruits. The bulletin
may be had from the United States
department of Agriculture, washing
ton, D. G.. as long as the departments
supply for free distribution lasts.
Some of the interesting facts upon
apple raising developed in this bull
I1etin are as follows: The climate of
kSouthern New England is rigorous.
hut the seasons are of sufficient length.
kfor the securing of good crops, and
kseem especially favorable for long
list of varieties of apples. It rs Inn
lportant to select varieties that ma
ltI1re in the prevailing length of sea-
son. Barring 1ow-ly1ng areas the cIi-
lmatic conditions OF the whole State
Iare well suited to apple growing,
though the character Of the fruit
varies with the kind of soil and not
range in climate. A Baldwin grown
Eon certain soil 1000 feet above sea
level in certain part of the state ma
lures later and may possess better
keeping qualities than one grown 40
miles further south on the same char.
acter of soil at an elevation Of 500
feet
After discussing in detail the diff
lferent classes of soils in the various
sections OF the territory, the bulletin
says:
While the statement that "a given
variety of apple, for the most sue
cessfu1 growth within its general eli
matte region, requires certain kind
iof condition Of SOIL seems incontro-l
lvertib1es 4nasmuch as it is so well
substantiated by orchard. results IN
der a. wide range of conditions, the
treason why this should. be so is not.
$50 easily stated. It seems to depend
Fundamentally upon the water hold
ling capacity, or rather the moisture
/ co-efacient, of the soil The capacity
OF a soil to hold capillary water,
which is the only kind plant growth
can use. depends on e10 che soil tex
tura G- q, the size OF the soil grain)
i (2) the solid structure or the group
ing of these tiny grains into clusters,
thus making it granular; Cd the
amount of hrrnus in the soil; and ca
the degree Of soil ti1th which is a
combined erect of the foregoing and
tilIage.
Apples ripen a bit later upon a
q nOrther1y slope than on a southern.
one, but an earlier soil on the north
side Of a hill. such as q sandy loam.
may mature fruit as early as a heav-
Ter soil on the south side
The necessity for good depth Of
subsoi1 cannot be emphasized too
strongly. Shallow soils should be
assiduously avoided for or chard pur-
poses. The presence OF unbrokeai rock
or, large lodges, hardpan within
three feet OF the surface should be
considered prohibitfve. A soil depth
of at least six feet should be insisted
upon, and ans even greater depth is
highly desirable. Soils with the un-
DERIVING rock too near the surface
have been Responsible not fnfreQuent-
~ for the failure OF commercial or
chards owing to the ineapacity Of the
subsoil to store sufficient moisture to
s rid OF excess moisture early enough
in the spring. The condition Of
tree growth and fruit yields makes it
evident that soils for any kind Of or
1 eI1ard planting should be deep, well
ldra4ned and friab1e, yet not so porous
tas to be droughty. Tor the red va
lrieties IN New England both soil and
Esubsoi1 should also be we'll oxidized as
k1ndicated by uniform brown, yellow
Tor possibly graytsh-brown co1ors.
Ebe avoided. A stony 1oam is often
Esoi1, but stones are advantageous only
Fin that they may help q soil that is
ttoo heavy or c1ayey or too 1mper-
tvious+by making it somewhat more
pervfous to water. Stones are dfsad-
The fact that a soil is stony does not
necessarily imply that it is productive.
Il If apples are to be grown with profit
kand competition is keen, the soil must
X. - -
being brought to a productive state
kand so maintained. Much of the cur
trent belief that stony soils possess
tsonne peculiar advantage for orchard
sfru1ts has undoubtedly arisen from
1.-THE success of many orchards loca-
ted on stony hills
The personal factor of the orchard
list is important because a man who
fixes to grow apples may grow very
lgood ones in spite Of adverse condi-
orchardfng may not produce good
tapples even in excellent soil.
The best of the commercial apple
orchards are@not cultivated until mid
summer and then laid by with some
of the cover crops. The sod-muIch
system Is also practiced TO some ex-
tent In the case OF the sod mulch
care must be taken to prevent the
Srourth of grass or weeds for a few
feet beyond the outer tips Of the
branches Grass in this place is more
tserfOus than If near the trunk be-
cause the feeding roots are under this
Fportfon of the soil. It must be adj
1nftted. however, that 3 large part
of the aggregate number of apple
trees IN both massachusetts, and Con-
knecticut regularly receive neither Gull
I ovation nor muIching. There are
& also thousands upon thousands OF
kseedfing trees in these States that
have not been grated to improved