SOIL FOR THE PEAR. 15 



SOILS AND PLANTING. 



The most desirable soil, for pear-trees is deep, loamy soil, 

 not merely for producing thrift and fruitfulness ; but the 

 fruit grown on such soil is superior in flavor and nutrition. 

 There are other soils, such as sandy and clayey soils, that, by 

 judicious treatment, might be made available for pear-culture. 

 Mixing ashes, clay, or muck, with sandy soil, will be a great 

 improvement, as these agents retain moisture and the soluble 

 parts of manure, that will enable plants to stand the drought 

 better. 



Clayey soil of itself makes very poor soil for all kinds of 

 fruit-trees, as in dry seasons it bakes hard, and cracks, 

 rendering it too impervious to that best of all plant-food, 

 the cool dews of night, in the spring and fall, and, after 

 heavy rains, sticky mud, not fit for trees to stand in. 



The most proper way to improve such soil is first to tile- 

 drain it, then to incorporate with it sand, muck, coal or 

 wood ashes liberally. All kinds of soil for fruit-trees should 

 be dry, either naturally, or made so by a system of drainage. 



In preparing soil for planting trees, plough eighteen inches 

 deep or thereabouts, bringing the subsoil on top. This can 

 be accomplished by going twice in the same furrow, first 

 with a common plough, then with a subsoil. Small gardens, 

 where the plough cannot be used, can be dug with a spade 

 any required depth by trenching, which should be done in 

 this manner : commence on one side, and open a trench two 

 feet wide or so, and in depth as recommended for ploughing ; 

 carry off to the opposite side the dirt taken out of it (to be 

 used in filling the last trench), then open the next, and 

 throw the surface-soil into the bottom of the first, and subsoil 

 on top, and so on until the whole garden is trenched. In all 

 cases for fruit-trees, grape-vines, &c, this depth is essential, 

 as the roots will certainly go that distance downwards in 

 search of food. If not ready to plant when your trees 

 arrive, heel them in at once, by opening a trench deep and 

 wide enough to admit all the roots, being careful to cover 

 the roots well to exclude air. When ready to plant, take off 

 all bruised roots and mutilated branches, making a clean 

 slanting cut every time, and cut back the last year's growth 

 to two or three buds. 



