I 1 GROWING FRUIT IN THE GREAT PLAINS AREA fruit gro growing lin the great plains mains area is a homemaking home making brather rather than a moneymaking money making enterprise ter prise this region is not primarily a fruit growling country owing to lack of moisture in in the soil say specialists in the U S department of agriculture but a few commercial orchards have been developed in favorable locations cat ions in of advise adverse cli matic conditions such isaam as dam age from steady winds hail and i early frosts considerable progress also is being made on numerous ranches in growing a supply of fruit for the home the tree fruits that occur most commonly in the dryland dry land ranch orchards are apples cher ries and native plums according to a new publication of the U S department of agriculture farmers bulletin in some som of the milder parts of the ar area especially in the southern sea section c pears peaches and apricots are found currants and goose berries are probably the most fi important of the small fruits J june I 1 ile b erries berries buffalo berries and strawberries are sometimes to be found sites for planting f fisit r uit crould be selected wherever possible with a view to conserving the supply of moisture in the soil for instance where a small stream passes through the ranch a dam may be constructed and ithe the water diverted to the ori chard again there are many instances where the lay of the land is such as to result in a large amount of runoff run off during heavy rains if this runoff run off which would otherwise be lost can be colel eted in cn small contour ditches and distributed where fruits are planted a considerable increase in the supply of mois I 1 iture ture is secured the planting of fruits in this area should be done as a rule to tin the spring and the soil so handled that it will contain as much moisture as possible at the time planting is commenced it is generally advisable to summer fallow during the season 1 1 that t precedes the planting land and an adequate supply of soil Imol moisture sture is still further insured if deep 1 loep furrows fu are opened in thu tha fall along the li lines nm of the tree rows these will serve to collect both the drifting snow and the runoff run off during heavy rains which might otherwise be lost one very successful fruit grower on a dryland dry land ranch even supplements the furrows by digging in the autumn rather large holes where the trees are to stand under ordinary a ry climatic conditions this method of preparing the land should result in the trees starting into growth readily and making a good development of roots