ORG 



O 



XV. 



seen root-, twelve feet deep, and the trees thrive 

 well. Where the bottom is clay, the roots 

 should, lie says, be cut-in once in lour years, to 

 prevent them from penetrating the clay, which 

 would greatly injure the trees. Whatever the 

 nature of the soil may be, it should have a good 

 .depth, as two or three feet. Where the sods 

 «re wet they should be well drained in the same 

 manner as has been directed for gardens, or by 

 forming the land in ridges with furrows between 

 the rows to convey off the moisture, the turf 

 being relaid in case of the ground being in the 

 state of sward. 



Size. — In regard to the size of an Orchard, it 

 ■nay vary Irom^one to ten and fifteen or more 

 acres, according to the quantity of fruit wanted, 

 or the proportion of ground that is fit for the 

 purpose. 



Preparation.— This is effected in different 

 ways : but the best method is, probably, before 

 planting the trees, to trench it two spits deep, 

 and ten feet broad, where the rows are to be 

 planted, and to loosen a spit below, unless it be 

 clay, which should, Mr. Forsyth says, be trodden 

 down. Where the ground is in pasture, it should, 

 he says, be ploughed, and well summer-fallowed, 

 tiil the grass beVilIed, otherwise when it is laid 

 in the bottom in trenching, which it gene- 

 rally is, it will be very apt to breed grubs, 

 which do much mischief. In bad shingly or 

 •.gravelly soils, he recommends that holes should 

 be dug at least three feet deep, and filled up with 

 good mould: if mixed up with rotten dung, 

 rotten leaves, or other manure, the trees will in 

 time amply repay the expense: the dung used 

 for this purpose should, he says, be that from 

 the melon and cucumber beds, mixed with the 

 mould from the same, when the beds are broken 

 up in autumn, or winter; and be laid up in 

 heaps, and continued so for one year at least ; but 

 be frequently turned and have some good fiesh 

 mould mixed with it. It is the practice with 

 some to only dig holes large enough to receive 

 the roots, especially in grass-ground which is to 

 be continued so. Others prepare the ground 

 by deep ploughing, if the Orchard is to be 

 of great extent. The sward, if pasture, should 

 be ploughed-in some time in spring; a good 

 summer-fallow should be given it, ploughing it 

 two or three times, which will lot the turf. A 

 fortnight or tl.r. e weeks before planting, it should 

 have a good deep ploughing to prepare it for the 

 reception of the trees. In Kent, and some other 

 •hop districts, they prepare their orchard-ground 

 by the growth of hops upon it with the fruit- 

 trees. b\ which they are much protected and 

 brought forward. 



Season of Plant 'in g. — In relation to the period 

 of planting, it maybe peri. 1 with success 



at different seasons, according to the nature 

 of the land. The best time lor planting on a 

 dry soil is, Mr. Forsyth says, in October; but, 

 if wet, the latter end of February, or the month 

 of Match, will be a more lit season; The chief 

 circumstance in this business is to suit the trees 

 as much as possible to the soil, and to plant 

 them at proper distances, from each other ; which 

 may be from forty to eightv feet, according to 

 the size of the trees when full grown. He ob- 

 serves that fruit-trees, when planted too thick, 

 are very liable to blights, and to be covered with 

 moss, which robs them of a great part of their 

 nourishment, besides spoiling the ii.ivour of the 

 fruit. 



Procuring the Trees. — In providing the trees 

 it is a good practice to procure their: from a soil 

 nearly similar to, or rather v\ >rse than , that where 

 they are intended to be planted ; as trees trans- 

 planted from a rich soil to a poorei oac never 

 thrive so well ; but it from a poor to a richer soil, 

 they generally succeed in a perfect mam er. 

 Good trees, which have been properly pruned, 

 which are quite free from bruises and disease, 

 should always be carefully selected; and their 

 roots be preserved as much as possible when 

 taken up. 



The most proper sorts of trees for small or- 

 chards may be those of the Janetmg, Golden 

 Pippin, Nonesuch, Hihston Pippin, Nonpareil, 

 Queen, Sky-house, Golden Rennet, Aromatic 

 Pippin, Grey Leadington, Scarlet Pearmain, 

 Lemon Pippin, Pommegrise, French Crab, 

 Russeting and Codling kinds. But various 

 other sorts may be employed where the orch- 

 ards are exttnsive, and a great variety of fruit 

 necessary. 



> Planting the Trees. — With regard to the pro- 

 per distance ol planting the trees, it should be 

 regulated by the natural growth or spreading of 

 them when fullv grown, as well as the nature 

 and goodness of the soil. It was formerly the 

 practice to have them put in at narrow distances ; 

 but at present ten, twelve, or fifteen yards are 

 more common, and in the cyder districts from 

 twenty to twenty live yards are in use. The 

 usual mode of arranging the trees is, in open 

 grounds in lines or row s ; but in close plantation* 

 the quincunx method is more in use. In the 

 row method, when it can be done, they should 

 be in the direction of north and south, or one 

 point more to the east, as by this means they 

 will have the advantage of the sun from the early 

 part of the morning in the spring season, which 

 will in a great measure prevent the damp 



