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It scarcely need be said that, if possible, the ground should be prepared 

 by good digging or trenching, sufficiently early to ensure its being well 

 pulverized during frosts preparatory to planting; and when the soil is of a 

 cold clayey nature, it would be much improved by a moderate quantity 

 of small stones being laid at the bottom of the trench ; or moderately 

 fine coal ashes would be valuable. I consider it a mistaken notion (as 

 generally practised) to clear lands, as much as possible, of all stones, (except 

 where neatness is a chief consideration). Trees, and indeed vegetation 

 generally, seem to be in their element when their fibres are nestling amongst 

 stones. At the beginning of April, or rather as soon as the buds of the 

 shrubs or trees appear pretty well swollen, plant as the weather suits, that 

 is, in quite gloomy and showery weather; always minding in the process not 

 to allow the roots to be too long exposed to a dry atmosphere. Perhaps the 

 best mode of preventing this will be, that the person employed to arrange 

 the plants for the planters should be closely followed by an assistant. Thus, 

 after the plant is laid down to be ready, the assistant may with his spade 

 throw a little soil upon the roots, as they lie, until the planters who follow 

 can plant them. 



In ornamental planting, I consider it better for the person who arranges 

 the plants to lay the roots at the exact point where the tree is to be planted, 

 rather than have holes previously made, (I am speaking in reference to young 

 plants). The latter course often leads to mistakes as to the proper position 

 of the shrubs, especially about the front of the plantings. In all cases it is 

 quite necessary that spacious holes or pits be made, to admit of the roots 

 being freely spread out, first covering them with fine soil, instead of lumpy 

 soil, as it may happen, — a thing too much practised. It may be proper to 

 speak of the common practice of fastening the plants by indiscriminate hard 

 treading. Sometimes we observe men ramming the earth about the roots 

 with their feet as if to fasten a gate post ; and whether the plants are delicate 

 or robust, it is all the same. Of course every plant should have the soil 

 pretty firmly pressed about the roots, so as to fasten it sufficiently, and the 

 earth should nowhere lie hollow about them; but this should be done with 

 cave and discrimination. A plant with a ball of earth attached to it should 

 by no means be trampled or pressed hard near to the stem, or over the ball 

 of earth ; because, although it may be deposited, and covered with soil, and 



