REPORT OF VERNON COUNTY HORTICULTUBAL SOCIETY. 159 



ing of large frait trees I cannot say, but think that the care and atten- 

 tion to feed your trees will make more essential difference than having 

 planted in fall or spring. 



The main point to observe, however, in planting in the fall, winter 

 or spring is that the ground should be in favorable condition, drier than 

 wet, say friable, easily crushed between the hands in fine particles, 

 and the weather not too cold to freeze. Sometimes it is difficult from 

 the weather being on the extreme to observe this in full, but we should 

 endeavor to get it as near as possible in the state mentioned above. 



In very dry weather and the ground is parched it is best to grout 

 your trees thoroughly before planting by rolling the roots in large 

 tubs of water in which mud or earth has been dissolved, or in a muddy 

 hole in the ground filled with water ; avoid using your water too cold. 

 From well or spring let it be tempered by slight exposure to a warm 

 sun or by hot water from the kitchen stove. While I am at this I may 

 as well say do not water flowers, vegetables or plants with cold water 

 fresh from wells and spring, but the best way is to draw the water in the 

 morning and place it in barrels or tubs and let it have the benefit of 

 the warm sunshine during the day and use it late in the evening. Ttiis 

 grouting gives the roots a muddy plaster that furnishes moisture for the 

 roots' use better than the mere washing. The holes should be dug 

 large enough in width to allow the roots to be spread out in their 

 natural position, not bent back upon themselves, and deep enough to 

 allow four or five inches loose soil below the roots which can be filled 

 in with fine soil before setting the trees, and this will tend to give 

 little rootlets and tender fibres a fair start to gather nourishment from 

 the soil instead of spending their innate force in penetrating the hard 

 ground. It is astonishing how tar the little rootlets will push them- 

 selves through the hard ground or squeeze themselves down through 

 the narrow crevices of the rocks in search of food. 



In order to learn we must observe dame nature, for she often 

 points the wa}' in no unmistakable language, so that he who runs may 

 read. The top dirt should be all lain to one side and the bottom dirt 

 to another side, and the top dirt should be thrown in first, not in great 

 spades full of hard clods that might pass for dornicks or bowlders, nor 

 in great swailing of loblollies of stiff mud as if a man was burying a 

 stinking dead horse and wanted to get the job done in the shortest 

 possible space of time in order to ease his olfactories, but the dirt should 

 be made as fine as possible by being chopped up with a spade, or what 

 is still better, crushed finely between the hands. Now right here per- 

 mit me to say that if a man is too much of a dude to use his hands in 

 this job he has no business there and had better get out of the way and 



