II 



close contact with the roots allows of the plant making a stronger start. After 

 firming the soil, a layer of loose fine earth should be at the surface to act as a 

 mulch and prevent the packed soil beneath from drying out. This mulch also 

 helps to keep the soil beneath cool and moist. 



When a few plants only are to be i^lanted for home use, care must be taken 

 to dig a hole big enough so that the roots of the plant may be well spread out. 

 If a >pade is just used to pry a hole in the ground and the plant set in that 

 it Ciinnot be expected to thrive. 



Choice of Plants. — Strong, well-rooted one-year-old plants are as good as 

 two-year-old phmts, and cost less money. It is, however, essential to have them 

 well-rooted. One-year-old plants are easily set, suffer less check in transplanting 



Fig. 5.— Another view in Mr. Henry's peach orchard, showing English gooseberries 



interplanted. 



than two-year plants, and make a better growth than they would during the same 

 time in the nursery row. Two-year plants are quite often the cull stock left at the 

 end of the first year after the best year-old plants have been sold. They are 

 grown for a second year and then often sold as No. 1 two-year-olds. 



/ 

 Subsequent Cultivation. 



Conservation of moisture, and coolness of soil, especially for gooseberries, are 

 two very important considerations with these fruits, hence cultivation must be 

 thorough and frerpient. Where the climate will permit, a very good plan is to 

 plow the land in the fall, leaving a furrow down the centre of each row to drain 

 off the surplus moisture. This plowing and also all further cultivations must 



