MARCH. 91 



young trees, they will most likely bear fruit the first season after ; and 

 continue bearing till their branches come in the way of the young trees, 

 when they must of course be cut away as the young ones require 

 their room. I have often had old trees treated in this way recover so 

 much and become such good looking and useful trees, that 1 have felt 

 sorry at being obliged to throw them away. In February or 

 early in March, the young trees should be headed back to within four 

 inches of their main stems. About the middle or end of ]\Iay their 

 young shoots will require to be tied to the wall, laying in three young 

 shoots from each old one. Their heads will now have nine shoots, 

 which must be trained out as leading branches to form the future tree, 

 and made fast to the wall as they continue to grow. About the beo-in- 

 ning of November I would recommend them to be transplanted, being 

 very careful in taking them up, to preserve every root whole as far as 

 possible ; and replant them immediately in their former places, and 

 treat them in every way as before recommended, except that they will 

 not require heading back so far this time ; each shoot may now be left 

 from eighteen to twenty-four inches long, according to its strength. 

 The following May, two or three shoots may be laid in from every old 

 one, if they have done well they will now look fine young fan -trained 

 trees. The autumn following they should be again transplanted as 

 before directed ; they will have formed fine fibrous roots, extending 

 four or five feet from the stem of the tree in every direction. In 

 planting, their roots may now be laid out with as much regularity as 

 their heads were on the wall. They may now remain two years before 

 they are again transplanted. I would, however, strongly recommend 

 them to be again transplanted the second autumn, they will then be 

 large trees, but their roots will be so fibrous that they will receive no 

 injury from being again transplanted, if the work has been well done. 

 Their roots will now extend seven or eight feet every way, and many of 

 them will be found to have rooted deep in the border ; their roots 

 being now again spread horizontally about five inches under the surface 

 of the soil, as before stated, they will be several years before they 

 get very deeply rooted again, and consequently before they will again 

 require transplanting. 



As before observed, the borders should never be crossed with any 

 kind of vegetable, at least not within five or six feet of the wall, nor 

 should they ever be dug with a spade. When the ground requires 

 stirring let it be done with a fork, being careful at all times never to 

 injure the surface roots. In very dry weather let the harder be 

 mulched with short Grass from the lawns, tree leaves, or any kind of 

 long litter that can be got for the purpose. If young trees are allowed 

 to get deeply rooted in the border they will make strong watery shoots, 

 which will continue growing till very late in the season, and, conse- 

 quently, winter comes before their wood gets ripened ; such shoots 

 generally become unhealthy the following season, but when trans- 

 planted as above recommended, and their roots kept near the surface, 

 they will not make such strong shoots, nor will they continue to grow 

 so late in the autumn, consequently their wood will get much better 

 ripened, and will therefore be better able to bear thes everity of winter. 



