230 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



The young trees, which have been taken up as recently 

 as possible, should have their roots topped back, and 

 then placed in the holes intended for them. The roots 

 must be spread evenly round the tree, and some fine soil 

 thrown amongst them ; after which the hole should be 

 nearly filled up with other soil. If the soil is dry, a 

 few bucketsful of water will be serviceable to each tree ; 

 and in three or four hours after, complete ihe treading 

 of the soil and the levelling of the surface. 



Deep planting is very objectionable excejjt in rich 

 loams, and even here 18 inches will be quite deep enough. 

 Generally speaking the depth of 12 inches will be suffi- 

 cient for the trees, and more especially so when the soil 

 becomes less favourable to their growth. The roots 

 being kept near the surface receive greater supplies of 

 heat, and arc more healthy and energetic in their 

 growth. For this reason also many trees which are 

 planted on poor soils are planted on the surface, and 

 mounds of soil cast around them. Each tree should be 

 secured by a strong stake, and protected from stock by 

 thorns bound around them. This will be sufficient 

 for sheep, and heavier stock should not graze orchard 

 land. 



The earlier pruning of the tree must be such as will 

 favour its development and its right form. This will 

 simply require the shoots from the stem below the main 

 shoots, which are the future limbs of the tree, to 

 be pinched off at their extremity about midsummer, and 

 in the following autumn cut off close to the stock. The 

 main branches after they have made the growth of two 

 summers must be cut off about a foot from the top of 

 the stock, and from each of these two or three shoots 

 may be allowed to rise the nest season, and these being 

 trainei into proper position will soon take the new form 

 given. There are various ways of directing these shoots, 

 for instance by the use of cross-sticks and a cord, or 

 what is better, a frame or hoop. A tree which has been 

 thus trained may afterwards be kept in proper order 

 without much trouble as regards pruning. The tree 

 should be examined every winter, damaged and decayed 

 boughs should be cut off, and long and over-grown 

 rambling branches should be headed back. The object 

 should be to keep the centre of the tree open so that 

 the sun and air may have access — to get an even and 

 regular distribution of fruiting wood throughout the 

 tree — and to avoid over-crowding any part of it. Thus 

 every part of the tree will gain strength, and a vigorous 

 production of fruit will probably result. If this is 

 attended to every winter, the orchard will be kept in its 

 prime for a longer period of time, and produce far more 

 fruit than if the trees are left to themselves. 



When the pruning of the tree is neglected the crowded 

 state of the branches prevents the free access of air, and 

 consequently the tree becomes over-grown with moss. 

 After a few years this moss quite rcits the outer bark of 

 the tree, and the orchard gets into a thoroughly unpro- 

 ductive state. The best course to be adopted in such a 

 case is to have the orchard well pruned so as to let in the 

 sun and air. The removal of the moss must be accom- 

 plished by having the stem and principal branches 

 scraped, and after this these parts should be white- 



washed with lime fresh slaked in water and applied whilst 

 warm. 'I'his will favour the healing of the bark, and 

 by attention to the pruning its recurrence may be pre- 

 vented. 



When a ree suffers much from canker, the best plan 

 is to head it back to the stock, and regraft it. This in 

 many cases succeeds, but much depends upon the stock ; 

 for, if this is disposed to disease, it will spread through 

 the tree even after grafting. Prevention is far better 

 than cure, and especial care should be taken to guard 

 against producing canker by grafting with scions from 

 weak, worn-out trees. 



Orchards are also much injured by attacks from the 

 caterpillar of two or three months, which are concealed 

 in the blossom or leaves, and generally known as blight. 

 Burning weeds and rubbish, so as to let the smoke pass 

 slowly through the orchard, is the best plan to check them. 

 The woolly aphis ( J;;/(W Janirjcra) is also a very great 

 pest in some orchards. The aphis, in the autumn, lays 

 her eggs ; these become partly developed in the spring 

 into females, and the remainder in the autumn into 

 males. They throw out the honey-dew which is so well 

 known in our orchards. No doubt, if the habits of the 

 aphis were better understood, we might destroy it more 

 than at present ; now, however, our best procedure is 

 to use lime about the trunks and larger branches. 



Orchard-land is generally kept in turf, but is very 

 often cultivated. Upon rich, calcareous soils it is less 

 necessary to break the turf than when the soil is either 

 poor 01- deficient in lime. Hence, if we observe the 

 districts in which it is usual to break the orchards up, 

 we shall find that this is the class of soils. The advan- 

 tages which result from breaking are, that the soil is kept 

 more permeable to the roots ; and the use of manures, 

 by increasing its fertility, adds to the luxuriance of the 

 growth. It is evident, therefore, that any system calcu- 

 lated to impoverish the soil cannot be suited to orchard 

 lands. Our object should rather be, by the growth of 

 green crops, to add vegetable matter to the soil ; and, by 

 occasionally breaking the surface, we promote the as- 

 similation of this matter by the fibres of the roots. The 

 use of lime as a manure is an excellent plan, and espe- 

 cially if made into a compost, and then dug into the soil 

 for two or three yards round the stem of the tree. As 

 a food for the apple-tree lime is especially valuable, but 

 it is equally so as an ameliorator of ihe soil, in which it 

 frees the alkalies the roots require, and decomposes the 

 vegetable matter which is so valuable for promoting the 

 fruitfulness of orchards. The use of farm-yard manure 

 is most beneficial on poor and close soils, when spread 

 upon the turf, and both ploughed in together, because 

 the soil gets the addition of fertilizing matter together 

 with an admixture of the turf, which will render the soil 

 more open. If the dung were simply spread upon the 

 grass, it would be giving additional strength to the turf ; 

 and this is by no means desirable upon these retentive 

 soils. If, on the other hand, we have a porous soil to 

 deal with, the firmness of the turf does not interfere pre- 

 judicially with the access of the air into the soil. 



I know of no system under which orchard-land can 

 be kept in such excellent condition as that adopted in 



