son previous to planting, at least. Every
effort should be made to insure a good stand and a good growth.
Inoculation of the seed with nitrogen-gathering germs will help, and a
good fertilizer, such as the one recommended for these crops elsewhere,
should be applied. Nothing will insure a good growth in the young trees
so well as the nitrogen and humus added to the soil by leguminous crops.
Stable manure may also be used to advantage.

The ground should be deeply and thoroughly broken with a two-horse plow.
In many cases the soil conditions will be greatly improved by the use of
a subsoil plow, running it after the ordinary plow so as to break and
loosen the soil to a depth of twelve or fifteen inches, or even more.

CHAPTER IX.

WHAT VARIETIES TO PLANT.

What varieties shall I plant? An easy question to ask--a difficult one
to answer; for, though the one attempting a reply may know something of
varieties, their size, quality and prolificness, there is always an
unknown personal equation entering into the problem.

Every variety of importance has its advocates. If a man has a preference
for a certain variety, and is interested in it, let him plant that
variety largely. He will be likely to give it better care and attention
than he will a variety for which he has no particular liking or for one
which he may regard even with disfavor.

The question of adaptation of varieties to certain localities is an
extremely important one. A variety which may do well in a certain state
or region, may not succeed in another; and on the other hand, some
varieties may be grown almost anywhere. To answer questions of this
sort, one must have an intimate knowledge of varieties in their local
adaptations.

Two of the worst faults which a variety may have are partial barrenness
or shy bearing and poor filling quality. In this last respect the worst
sinners are the larger varieties, and in point of filling quality,
medium and small-sized varieties will, in nearly all cases, be found to
have the greatest range of adaptability. The larger varieties are more
likely to succeed on rich lands where the rainfall, particularly during
the summer months, is great.

Again, all varieties are not equally hardy, and some may not ripen their
wood and fruit early enough in autumn to avoid late killing frosts. Such
varieties should not be selected for planting in sections where there is
danger of such injury, viz: principally along the more n