174 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



When trees or plants are to be procured from any distance, they 

 should be purchased and got home in autumn, if possible, even if 

 the intention be to plant in spring, as, by being " heeled in," they 

 can be kept in better condition than if left in the nursery rows 

 during winter, and the trees are at hand ready to be set on the 

 first favorable opportunity ; whereas, if left until spring, other 

 work is apt to delay or interfere, and the order reaches the nur- 

 serymen when scores or hundreds of other orders are on hand, 

 waiting their turn, to be executed ; those sending for them all 

 anxious to be served at once, while the period suitable for lifting 

 and transplanting is very brief, much shorter than in districts 

 farther south. Indeed, comparatively speaking, we have no spring 

 here, the transition from winter to summer being so abrupt. 



The "heeling in," or "laying in by the heels," alluded to, is a 

 sort of temporary planting. Let a trench be dug in dry soil deep 

 enough to cover the roots and half the tops, place them in a slop- 

 ing position and cover with earth, carefully filling every interstice 

 among the roots, and heaping the earth over them. The tops may 

 be covered with evergreen boughs. They are thus kept in the 

 best possible condition. When trees are received in spring, the 

 bundles should be opened and the trees heeled in at once — at least 

 if the}' are not to be planted within an hour. Never let them suf- 

 fer any needless exposure in anj' way. 



To the other advantages of procuring trees in autumn may be 

 added that of obtaining a heller seleclion, inasmuch a§ all nurseries, 

 of any repute, are more or less severely thinned by a season's sale, 

 and the stock of some desirable sorts often exhausted. 



Distances heiioeen trees. It is not possible to state definitely 

 any given distance as the best at which to plant apple trees or 

 other fruit trees. Different sorts need different distances, some a 

 good deal more than others ; something also depends on soil, cir- 

 cumstances and intentions. I have Seen some very good apple 

 orchards which were planted at only a rod apart ; and some others 

 which were planted at forty feet apart. In the first, one half to 

 three quarters of the trees had been removed by accident, disease 

 or design. They were planted close purposely ; in part to provide 

 against losses from both unforseen and anticipated contingen- 

 cies, and partly for the shelter and protection furnished by one to 

 another. 



Mature trees, of large growing sorts, like the Wintlirop Greening 



