Hints on the Planting of Orchards. 247 



questioned if the land is fit for an orchard. In all ordinary soils, 

 holes must be dug by hand for the tree fruits. Plowing out a 

 deep furrow in the line of the rows may lessen the digging and 

 aid in getting the trees in line. The hole should be dug broad 

 and ample ; and the harder the soil the larger ought the hole to 

 be, for in that case the loose dirt which is filled in must give the 

 tree its start. In loose and deep soils, the hole need be no larger 

 than the spread of the roots. Chop up the soil in the bottom of 

 the hole, or throw in a few shovelfuls of loose surface earth. The 

 tree should be set an inch or two deeper than it stood in the nur- 

 sery, for the loose earth will settle and wash away in the course 

 of the season, even if it is well packed when the tree is set. 

 Dwarf pears should be set from three to six inches below the bud. 

 The roots are trimmed, as explained further.on. Every care must 

 be exercised to get the soil thoroughly firmed in about the roots — 

 which are straightened out in approximately their natural posi- 

 tion — and especially under the crown or fork of the roots, in order 

 that no air spaces may be left to dry out. This dirt can be best 

 placed by fingering it in, moving the tree gentl}' up and down at 

 the same time. Once or twice in the progress of filling the hole, 

 the earth should be stamped down. Fill the hole to a little more 

 than level full to carr}^ off surface water, but be careful that no 

 hollows are left close about the tree into which water can settle, 

 especially when planting in the fall. Stamp the earth very firmly 

 about the tree before leaving it, for the double purpose of retain- 

 ing moisture and of holding the tree against winds. All this 

 operation of tree planting can proceed to perfection only when the 

 earth is dry enough to crumble. Trees cannot be well planted 

 in wet and sticky soil. 



If the trees are set according to these directions and the tops 

 are cut back as explained farther on, there will rarely be any 

 necessity for staking and tj'ing the trees to keep them plumb- 



Mulches of straw or manure are sometimes advised for newly 

 set trees. For trees planted late in spring and upon drouthy 

 soils, a light mulch about the tree may be advised ; but in other 

 cases it is not. If mulches are applied to fall-planted trees, care 

 must be taken to tramp them down well or they may become a 

 nesting-place for mice, which will girdle the trees if there are 



