208 MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT-TREE BORDERS. 



excess of water, thereby admitting the air — "Because," says Mr. 

 Solly, "plants cannot derive the elements of organic matter from 

 the eartliy constituents of the soil, nor from the organic matters 

 which it may contain, vuiless there is air present." Again, the 

 same high authority says — " The most abundant constituent of soils 

 is commonly silica, wliicli frequently forms nearly nine-tenths of 

 their whole weight. Silica, or natural compounds containingsilica, 

 in combination with several earthy and alkaline bases, are cjuite 

 insoluble in water, and are scarcely acted on by the strongest 

 acids, nevertheless they gradually decompose when exposed to the 



AIR." 



Seeing, then, the very important functions which rain-water is 

 ordained to perform in percolating through the soil — water itself 

 being a large constituent of plants, containing also in its own body 

 aquantity of air, and in its course leaving cavities through which 

 the air of the atmosphere penetrates, rendering into soluble food 

 for plants those organic substances which witiiout such agency 

 would be insoluble — I cannot but doubt the propriety of cover- 

 ing the surfaces of borders with an impervious substance like 

 concrete. 



Dr. Lindley says, that " hardy trees, on whose roots earth had 

 been heaped, or paving laid, are found to suffer much, or even 

 to die. In such cases the earth, in which the roots are grow- 

 ing, is constantly much cooler than the atmosphere, instead of 

 warmer." Is there not on this account another great objection 

 to concrete surfaces ? 



I have paid much attention to the management of fruit-tree 

 borders, and feel convinced that tlie great object which we should 

 have in view is to secure a shallow stratum of sound pure loam 

 on a dry and impervious bottom, to avoid mutilating the surface- 

 roots by cropping with vegetables, not to apply rank and stimu- 

 lating manures, and to endeavour to keep the mass of soil always 

 open, healthy, and permeable to the sun, the atmosphere, and the 

 rain, using especial precaution that excess of the latter is not per- 

 mitted to saturate the soil. K^othing in my opinion is more in- 

 jurious to wall-trees than the heavy cropping of the borders in 

 which they are planted. I would not do this if I were not 

 obliged. My opinion is, that in first-rate gardens the fruit-borders 

 should be , set apart solely for the trees. If paled fences were 

 erected, running east and west over a division of such gardens, 

 northern and southern exposures for early and late cropping would 

 be secured, offering the advantages of shade and exposure to the 

 fullest extent, while the trifling additional expense would be 

 amply repaid by the permanently-improved condition of the trees, 

 and more abundant and highly-flavoured fruit. 



