PLANTING 17 



case the planter will find that it is much deeper than 

 it really ought to be. Even with firm planting, the 

 tree will sink to a certain extent, but not enough 

 to affect its welfare. When finished off, the soil 

 around the tree will be somewhat higher than the 

 ^rounding turf, but this will in time resume its 

 normal level, so that no notice need be taken of it. 

 As advised when preparing the base of the hole, leave 

 the centre of the surface soil (near to the stem of the 

 tree) rather higher than it is towards the sides for the 

 same reason as before, namely, that the water may not 

 collect around the base of the tree when rain falls or 

 water is applied. If held in a hollow in the centre it is 

 almost sure to soak down by the stem and leave all the 

 important roots dry, thus producing a state of affairs 

 most detrimental to the successful establishment of the 

 tree. Do not replace the turf upon the soil 'within three feet 

 of the tree stem. This is one of the most important of 

 the items in the culture of standard apple trees, and 

 every good grower now puts it into practice. With the 

 grass growing right up to the stem of the tree, the 

 surface soil there must be in an almost continual state 

 of dryness, by reason of the innumerable grass roots and 

 the drain upon it by these. It is also impossible, or at 

 any rate futile, to apply a mulch, and almost as bad to 

 give manure water, for the grass, and not the apple 

 tree, has the benefit of whichever is given. Many of the 

 most valuable roots, viz. the small fibrous ones, " the 

 feeders," are destroyed by allowing the grass to grow 

 right to the stem, simply for the reason that they can obtain 

 no food or moisture. I well remember an orchard on 

 grass land planted with standard apple trees on the crab 

 stock, all around which the grass was permitted to 

 grow, with the result that the trees became stunted, 

 and for a time progressed very unsatisfactorily. 

 Eventually the turf, for about two and a half feet from 



