300 THE GARDENER. [July 



the best soil -u'ill still be tlie best. A good rich soil similar to Avhat 

 I recommended for the latter will be found to be the best for the Apple, 

 although it may be often seen that good fruit has been obtained with- 

 out all the trouble and expenses my system would incur. This can, 

 however, be no objection to my plans ; for it will be found, as a rule, 

 that wherever the Apple succeeds best, either in a natural or prepared 

 soil, that the food provided for it approaches very nearly to what I 

 recommend as being the best for Apple- cultivation if it is to be suc- 

 cessful. 



The soil and all other things being in readiness, the Apples may be 

 planted into their permanent positions any time after they are two 

 years old, up to six or eight years of age. In the case of renewing an 

 old garden with young fruit-trees, it is the best plan to grow on the 

 young ones until they are into a good regular fruit-bearing condition, 

 which should be arrived at by the end of six or eight years. This is 

 the case with us here, and all the old trees are still standing in their 

 places to enable us to obtain a supply of fruit until the young ones are 

 fully bearing. I have therefore had recourse to the following expedient : 

 One of the divisions of the garden is filled up with about three 

 hundred of Pears, Plums, and Apples, planted 6 feet apart each 

 way. They are five and six years old from the graft, and I hope and 

 expect by the end of three or four years more to be able to dispense 

 with the old trees and have them replaced with the new. In planting 

 these young trees, the pits were dug out and fresh soil put in to receive 

 the plants ; upon this they were planted, and the pits filled up with the 

 same material. At the end of each two years they receive a good root- 

 pruning ; and by the time they are required for planting out I expect 

 them to lift with good balls of 2 or 3 cwt., as they receive an addition 

 at each operation of the same material in which they were at first 

 planted, as well as a top-dressing of dung. The best time to plant 

 fruit-trees of any sort is the end of September or beginning of October, 

 before the leaves are fully ripe, so that they may become partially 

 established in their places ere the period of rest has come about. In 

 the case of transplanting trees of six or eight years old, it would even 

 be better, where good large balls can be obtained, to do so in August, as 

 the check which they will get by the oj)eration will enable them to set 

 a good crop of flower-buds for the following season. Any one who 

 may try this experiment need not be alarmed to see the foliage flag 

 considerably for a time. In the course of a month or so they will all 

 come right again if the following directions be attended too : In removing 

 the trees, be as careful as possible not to break the balls ; have the places 

 for them prepared before lifting them ; have them planted one by one 

 as they are lifted, and allow them to be as little exposed to the sun as 



