ORCHARDS. 83 



and let it be well settled by treading the earth around it. 

 The tops of young trees should never be shortened, lest it 

 produce a growth of suckers — the top may be thinned out, if 

 found too heavy. If the trees have been a long time out of 

 of the nursery, and the roots have become shriveled at the 

 time of planting, pour a pail of water around each tree." 



There is some discrepancy here between Coxe and other 

 authors as regards planting, &c. Although he warns the 

 farmer against '^ deep planting^'' yet he plants two inches 

 deeper than the tree originally stood in the nursery, which is 

 at variance with most authors. Next, he says, the trees should 

 be loell shaken to admit the finer particles of earth around the 

 roots. This shaking or cJiurning^ as some call it, is objected 

 to by some authors, who maintain that filling in the interstices 

 with fine earth is sufficient, if well done. Then he says, 

 " The tops of young trees should never be shortened, lest it 

 produce a growth of suckers." As to the practice of planting 

 deeper than the tree stood in the nursery, some allowance 

 must be m.ade for the settling of the earth around the tree, so 

 that the depth will remain the same as when the tree grew in 

 the nursery. As to shaking or churning, when the hole is 

 partially filled, if moderately done, should it be of no advan- 

 tage, it can do no harm. Downing says: "Pruning the heads 

 of transplanted trees, at the time of their removal, we think 

 generally an injurious practice." We are of the same opin- 

 ion, unless their roots are dried, have been frozen, or improp- 

 erly managed, when it might be necessary to use the knife 

 freely. 



Downing also says that, "More than half the losses in or- 

 chard planting in America arises from deep planting^ and the 

 equally common mode of crowding the earth too tightly about 

 the roots. No tree should be planted deeper than it formerly 

 grew, as its roots are stifled from want of air, or starved by 

 the poverty of the soil at the depth where they are placed." 



Coles, in his "American Fruit Book," says, in regard to 

 setting trees : "The land and holes being prepared as named, 

 and the broken roots cut off", set the tree and place the roots 

 in their natural position, and so that they will not run down- 



