That the primary requisites for tree growing are the physical
characteristics of all soils favorable for that purpose requires no
discussion. The successful nut tree planting starts with the soil,
whether it be on the scale of an orchard, grove, or just a few trees
around the farm or garden.
The better soils for general crop production are on limestone, basalt,
dolemite, dolerite, diorite and gabbro formations, whereas sandstones,
aplites, granites, pierre shale, cretacious rocks and volcanic
formations weather into inferior soils. Gneiss can be sometimes good,
sometimes unfavorable for building of fertile soil.
It is well to bear in mind that geology and botany are our two
fundamental sciences, and that all our other sciences are in reality
departments of these. Chemistry can be either a branch of botany if it
deals with organic chemistry, or else a branch of geology, if it deals
with inorganic chemistry, and it would appear that the modern scientific
grower of nut trees or any other crops is wittingly or unwittingly
concerned with both. Biology and zoology both are branches of botany.