lo May, 191 1.] 



Propagation of Fruit Trees. 



345 



A better plan is to dig up any young trees early in May, strip off the 

 foliage and heel in a trench until wanted for sale or planting out. Then 

 prepare the soil and sow a crop of peas or other suitable green crop right 

 away. If a leguminous crop, such as peas, roll down and turn in when 

 in bloom, using a disc colter upon the plough. Roll any green manurial 

 crop before turning in. Harrow lightly and let fallow. Plough again 

 in the early autumn and give a final ploughing a week or so before 

 planting. A heavy rank crop should be grown for green manuring. 

 Always break up the subsoil afresh l>efore replanting land that has carried 

 a crop. 



If the land is required for replanting the same season, and such land 

 is deficient in humus, plough and subsoil immediately it is cleared of young 

 trees, letting it remain fallow until a week or so before planting. It 

 should then be harrowed, given a good dressing of .stable manure and 

 ploughed in. Harrow down to a fine state of tilth a day or so before 

 planting. Apply bonedust when planting. 



If replanting a soil rich in humus, plough well and use chemical 

 manure, bonedust preferred, when planting. The reader will gather from 

 this, that not being able to remo\e any young trees until the month of 

 May, there is no chance to sow a green crop earlier, or to renew the soil 

 by other means to better advantage for replanting the same season. 



The followir^g are, roughly, the indications of the want of humus in 

 soils. With heavy soils they are cloddy, greasy, and sticky ; with sandy 

 or light, too loose, letting the water percolate through too readily. Deep 

 cultivation and green manuring should be practised. By deep cultivation. 

 a greater capacity for conserving moisture is obtained ; also a greater 

 supplv of a\ailable plant food is formed by the mutual action of air and 

 moisture. Green manuring is the cheapest method of renewing humus to. 

 and improving, soils. 



The different agencies which cause the turned-in plants to decay and 

 set up chemical changes in the soil turn the insoluble or dormant 

 parts into active or soluble plant-fond. If the cultivator ha:s stablt- 

 manure or sweet-decayed vegetable matter on hand, cart it upon the land 

 and place it in heaps. After the first rains in early autumn it should be 

 spread and ploughed in. If there are anv patches of clayey soil, give 

 them the heaviest dressing. When re-ploughing any old formed lands, 

 plough out and leave the last furrow down the centre, the final ploughing 

 being back towards this centre furrow^, thus re-forming the land ready for 

 planting again. 



When lifting voimg trees in the nursery, no holes should be allowed 

 to remain opeii : fill in at once. 



{To he co}ititiucJ .) 



