RAISING FRUIT TREES FROM SEEDS. 1 



of the ground by the frost, which, as I am in- 

 formed, is one principal cause of the destruction in 

 winter of young pear trees. As they make but few 

 lateral roots, they are of course more exposed to 

 such an injury than other kinds of young trees. 

 Now if the tap root strikes deep, it has the stronger 

 hold upon the soil ; and if it reaches below the 

 frost, it would seem to be entirely removed beyond 

 its action. My soil being very light, the roots of 

 the trees had no difficulty in extending to the length 

 I have mentioned. 



" Another benefit, as it seems to me, of a light 

 sandy soil for young pear trees is this, that being so 

 porous, it is less retentive of moisture than stiff and 

 strong soils, which is the kind of soils upon which 

 pear trees are usually attempted to be raised. The 

 wetter the soil, the greater would seem to be the 

 action upon it of the frost. It would freeze and 

 thaw, in early spring, with greater violence to the 

 young roots ; such soil would heave more than a 

 dry one, and in heaving would at length throw the 

 tree up by the roots, and expose it to the winds and 

 weather. 



" The season after being transplanted, the trees 

 made a vigorous growth. The principal dressing 

 which they received was ashes applied occasionally 

 in small quantities and in its unspent state. In 

 August of that season, the second of their growth, I 

 budded about six hundred of the trees ; the rest, 

 not being of sufficient size for that purpose, were 

 left unbudded. The ground upon which they then 



