SECT. VIII. OF PLANTING. 9? 



2. The ACT of planting. Trees taken up for 

 planting fhonfd be dug carefully, with (as much as pof- 

 fible) their full roots. Many a good tree has failod 

 merely by being taken up badly, and then planted fo. 

 The roots of fruit-trees are often not only mangled, 

 and too few, but are alio put into the ground without 

 any drelhng or care. 



The lefs roots are expofed to the air the better, and 

 the fooner trees are planted after being taken up, tne 

 more likely they are to fuccecd well. Trees properly 

 packed (i.e. the roots well coyered) may liye out of 

 ground ten days or a fortnight, in autumn, or early in 

 the /bring i but nothing except necefjity will juftity the 

 keeping a tree out of ground a day longer than can be 

 helped, for the fine roots dry off apace. 



If it be determined for any length of time before hand, 

 when and whereto plant, the opening the ground, and 

 expofitig the holes to the fun and air, (and if it may be 

 to frcfl alfo) will both correct crudities in the foil, and 

 enrich it from the various ftores of the atmofphere ; 

 this opening ihould be as wide and deep as convenient, 

 that the benefits of the air may be extended. 



Some people do the work ol planting very idly, as if 

 it were fufiicient to fee that a tree has a root, and that 

 it was only neseilary to hide it in the ground. Ever/ 

 .one who plants trees mould Hand by himfelf, or have 

 ib roe trufty peri'on toy^ the work done, or the necef- 

 fary labour may not be beftowed. It is frequently the 

 way (for initance) to dig a hole n$ bigger than will 

 receive the roots of a tree twilled and forced in ; but 

 being thus cramped, and the veifels of their roots dif- 

 torted and broke, it cannot be expected that fuch unna- 

 tural treatment ihould anfwer. 



But the above violence is not allj the roots are con- 

 fined as in a prifon, (in a tub or a bafon) which, if the 

 foil is ftrong, detains wet, and chills and cankers, if 

 not rots the fibres, To plant well, the ritfj of a tree 

 ihould have liberty to ftrike out freely every war, and 

 F ' ' ' the 



