18 PEEPAEATION OF THE SOIL. 



in otlier words, dig the whole field as thoroughly as 

 you would the space for a single tree. If tree- 

 j^lanters would observe this rule, few of them would 

 suffer the disappointments which often attend trans- 

 planting. So few persons, however, can find courage 

 to invest this amount of labor in the mere planting of 

 a tree, that it is a little to be feared that some will be 

 disinclined to attempt anything, when so much is 

 demanded for perfection. To such it can only be 

 said : " Undertake less than you intended, but per- 

 form that little in the best manner." 



The processes for the important work of thorough 

 preparation of the soil are ; first. Draining ; second. 

 Plowing and Cropping the Ground; third, Trench- 

 ing — fourth. Manuring. 



DRAINING. 



Tliorough drainage has become so much a matter 

 of faith with intelligent agriculturists, that it is con- 

 sidered almost heresy to doubt its value or necessity 

 in all soils. 



Without questioning the truth of this extreme doc- 

 trine, it is sufficient for us to say: that all soils, i)os- 

 sessing any of the following conditions, must, to 

 secure a healthy growth of the pear tree, be first 

 thoroughly drained. 



1. Those composed principally of clay. 



2. Tliose which rest on an impervious subsoil. 



3. Those generally upon which water remains more 

 than an hour after rains. 



4. Those in which springs, or springy ground ap- 

 pears. 



