THE ORCHARD. 73 



greatest care used in selecting good healthy specimens, that 

 have not made too much wood the last year ; nor should we 

 be over anxious to purchase where they were grown with re- 

 markable vigour, for the change very frequently throws them 

 back so much, that we should be actually forwarder with 

 maiden trees, or at the most with a second year's growth on 

 them. A few rules may be attended to with great advantage : 

 — first, on no account remove a tree until the wood is well 

 ripened, and every leaf has fallen ; . secondly, remove them as 

 soon as possible after they have fairly ripened ; thirdly, take 

 up every fibre of the root, if possible, without bruising or 

 breaking ; fourthly, if, despite of all our care, the roots have 

 been broken or bruised, cut off every damaged, every bruised 

 end, and every broken part, with a clean sharp knife, for 

 every bruise on a root will generally canker, and this com- 

 mences a slow but generally sure decay; fifthly, if by this 

 operation the root has lost much, let the head be pruned in 

 proportion, by shortening the vigorous branches, and cutting 

 out altogether all weak and superfluous shoots. 



If you obtain maiden trees, use the same care in taking up 

 the roots whole ; but as maiden trees have but one year's 

 growth upon them from the bud, or graft, they are cut back to 

 three eyes, and no more. Take care to compensate for lost 

 roots, if they are damaged, to the greatest extent, or you lose 

 growth in proportion. 



Planting the Trees. — The planting of the wall- fruit trees 

 is simple enough. They should be put a foot from the wall, 

 and be sloped to it ; and on no account should they be put 

 in the ground lower than the collar of the root. The roots 

 should be spread outwards, and, when well trodden in, so fixed 

 in the jDlace as to be undisturbed by winds. "With regard to 

 the border, it need not be wasted ; but whatever crop may be 

 placed in it, there should be room for the sun to reach the 

 earth. An.y crop that shades the whole surface will be in- 

 jurious ; and the best management is, perhaps, to use it for 

 strawberries, for a time at least, but to allow every plant a 

 yard. It may not be of much importance the first two or 

 three years, because the roots have not time to spread ; but 

 when they reach all across the border, which they will in time, 

 the sun must not be kept off by anything. "Whatever is put 

 on the border must be dwarf and distant, and the top-dressing 

 must be ample, to compensate for the requirements of the crop. 



