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TRANSPLANTING FRUIT TREES, ETC. 



to insure ii, is, to have the work done under 

 his own eye, as it too often otherwise happens 

 that those to whom you may give directions 

 will neerlect to follow ihem in some partic- 

 ular, either through a want of care or a be- 

 lief that it is of no importance. Care and 

 tact are required in taking up a tree pro- 

 perly, as well as in transplanting it; and we 

 believe as much loss oftentimes occurs from 

 the want of it in one instance as in the 

 other. The work is too frequently regard- 

 ed as mere drudgery, to be performed 

 with as much expedition as possible ; and 

 is usually done by common laborers, wholly 

 iinskilled in the operation. The roots are 

 torn from the body of the tree, or so split and 

 mangled and curtailed in length, as either to 

 destroy its life, or so far impair its strength 

 and vigor, as to require years for its recov- 

 ery. 



The most thrifty, is liable to sustain the 

 greatest damage, as its roots are apt to be 

 larger and more numerous, or more deeply 

 imbedded in the soil. We have seen trees 

 taken up in this manner, some of which 

 have been thereby rendered entirely worth- 

 less, so carefully packed for transportation, 

 that not a branch, or even a twig, could re- 

 ceive the slightest injury, A portion of the 

 labor would have been much more advan- 

 tageous to the purchasers, if it had been 

 expended in removing them properly. It is 

 far preferable that the limbs should be mu- 

 tilated rather than the roots ; for though the 

 tree may have a bad appearance when first 

 transplanted, if the roots are well preserved 

 it will soon recover from the injury. A 

 nurseryman cannot at all times oversee this 

 work, and in the press of business it may 

 be carelessly performed without his know- 

 ledge and against his express directions. 

 The purchaser would confer a benefit by 

 informing him, -whenever there is a serious 

 cause of complaint ; and it would not be 



amiss in some cases, when an order is given, 

 to make the request that care should be la- 

 ken in removing the trees to preserve the 

 roots as entire as practicable. If the trees 

 could be removed with every root entire, 

 there would be no necessity of shortening 

 or trimming out the branches, any further 

 than to shape the top of the tree in a cor- 

 rect form. 



To have trees grow thriftily, and bear 

 good crops of fruit, it is necessary that the 

 soil should be kept in good condition by 

 cultivation and frequent manuring. It 

 should seldom be laid down to grass, and 

 never with the view of taking the crop for 

 more than one season or two at the most. 



After an orchard has been planted eight 

 or ten years, if the trees are vigorous, but 

 little or nothing is gained by clearing the 

 grass from around the tree three or four 

 feet, and applying manure ; for the small 

 fibrous roots from which they derive their 

 chief sustenance, grow at much greater 

 distance ; and it would then be more ne- 

 cessary to cultivate half of the intermediate 

 space between the rows and equidistant, 

 than any other part. 



In the fruit garden, the spade, of course, 

 only is to be used. The earth should be 

 thoroughly trenched to the depth of twenty 

 inches or two feet, the upper stratum, with 

 a compost of manure and peat or muck, be- 

 ing first filled in, and the subsoil turned 

 over and upon it. This work can be done 

 with more advantage before the trees are 

 transplanted. 



In ploughing an orchard, use oxen in 

 preference to horses. It is necessary that 

 the trees should be so trimmed as to admit 

 of the team passing beneath, without injury 

 to the branches. Care should be taken not 

 to cut or bruise the roots. By examining 

 the furrows the depth at which they lie can 

 often be detected, and the ploup^h should 



