112 THE GARDENER. [March 



round, at a distance of 10 or 12 feet from the trunk, to whatever 

 depth good roots are expected ; thereafter take four-toothed steel 

 forks, and commence carefully to shake the soil from among the roots 

 into the trench, and, if possible, endeavour not to cut or hurt the 

 bark in the operation. Go round and round regularly until all the 

 roots are laid bare ; and if, as I have indicated, there are roots pene- 

 trating the subsoil, let these be cut off with a sharp hatchet. The 

 tree may now be removed out of its bed altogether and set to one 

 side ; thereafter proceed to remove whatever roots may have been left 

 in the soil, as they might — nay, would — prove injurious if allowed to 

 remain. If it can be had, I would recommend fresh soil to be pro- 

 cured for every tree handled in this way, and something of the quality 

 we shall hereafter recommend when speaking of the formation of 

 borders. Failing this, however, the next best shift will be to 

 procure a quantity of soil from the best plot in the garden, replac- 

 ing it with the soil from the Pear border. If the border has not 

 been concreted, or had something of the sort done for it, which will 

 not be the case in such a one as I have described, it would be very 

 advisable to procure a few rough flags, which may be laid at a depth 

 of 2J feet from the surface, and if they can be built or cemented to- 

 gether, so much the better ; and as every fruit-border ought to have a 

 good drain running along the box, let these flags slope in its direction 

 to carry off the damp. The soil may now be brought and put into its 

 place. We premise, however, that it has been well incorporated with 

 good rotten dung of some sort — old mushroom-dung, if not burned or 

 destroyed, being the best — to the proportion of 1 to 10 at the very 

 least, with an addition of lime and charcoal where it can be had. 

 This mixture being placed in the hole to within a few inches of its 

 level, let the tree now be made ready for replacing. Examine every 

 root carefully, and wherever hurt in the operation of lifting, let it be 

 removed back beyond the wound to the first good rootlet. Cut all the 

 points back in the same way, and remove all those having a downward 

 tendency. This being done, place the tree in its position, spread the 

 roots equally and in every direction, and proceed to fill in the soil 

 round the trunk, and, as the operation proceeds, lift and shake the tree, 

 so as to get the soil into the many crevices which are sure to abound 

 near the neck. After this is done, begin to cover the roots towards 

 the extremities, not throwing it in like filling a drain, as I have seen it 

 done, but let the workman stand in such a position as, by one sweep 

 of his hand, the soil from the shovel shall fall gently, and in such a 

 way as to help to stretch the roots in an outward direction. After the 

 soil is all on, a gentle press with the foot may be necessary, but if it 

 is in the least degree ivet^ the less " tramping " the better. Cover the 



