UNHEATED ORCHARD HOUSE 47 



After the fruit is gathered, the trees should as a rule 

 be repotted. Prepare a fresh pot with broken flints, 

 etc., at the bottom, place a piece of turf on them, next 

 a handful of soot, and some fine soil on that. Have 

 ready some new soil made chiefly of good turfy loam, 

 to which old mortar rubbish or road scrapings, wood 

 ashes, guano, and bone-dust have previously been added. 

 The whole should be well mixed. Then take the tree 

 out with a ball of earth, remove the soil all round the 

 ball with a pointed stick, shorten the rootlets around, 

 and cut any coarse roots away with sharp pruning 

 scissors. Place the topmost roots an inch and a half 

 below the rim, then shake this compost among the 

 roots, finally ramming the soil hard down into the pot. 

 In two or three days soak the ball with rain or warm 

 water. The trees are better in the house until re- 

 established. Sprinkle the leaves daily with soft water. 

 Close and keep the house moist. The pots can then 

 be taken out and plunged once more. The house will 

 probably be wanted. They must be carefully pro- 

 tected in severe weather ; place ashes, earth, or manure 

 around them. Another plan is to lay the pots on the 

 ground and cover them with mats. Take them back 

 to the house before the buds begin to move. Shape 

 the trees in winter, and summer prune as may be 

 necessary. They require syringing as well as rich 

 feeding when carrying a crop. A mixture of poultry 

 droppings or night soil (half a barrowful) added to the 

 same amount of sifted soil and of wood ashes, with a 

 peck of soot and a peck of bone dust, all made into a 

 compost a few days before use, is a strong surface- 

 dressing. A layer half an inch thick when the fruit 

 is swelling should be given two or three times, and 

 be watered down with a fine rose. Messrs Bunyard 

 recommend cow manure mixed with malt combings, and 

 (as an artificial) sulphate of ammonia. 



