8 THE ORCHAKD AND FRUIT GAEDEN. 



"When the trees are bought, the next thing is to plant 

 them. Dig and trench the earth, where a tree is to be 

 planted, or a plantation made, three feet deep ; if the 

 subsoil be too wet, the ground should be drained, and if 

 it be poor, remove it and replace it with good, mode- 

 rately rich loam. 



October is the best time for planting, but any period 

 between that and the first breath of spring, i.e., while 

 the trees are near or in their winter rest, will do. Any 

 week in November, December, or January, provided the 

 weather be so open as to present no danger of sharp 

 frost, is good, but the lest time is before the growth 

 of the tree has entirely ceased for the season, because 

 the impulse of growth, to replace the spongelets of the 

 roots which are injured, is beneficial to its restoration, 

 after the trial of transplanting. 



Take care that the tree is not planted with the earth 

 loosely thrown in, or, as the mould sinks, and the root 

 with it, the tree will be too deep in the earth. Neither 

 let the mould be stamped in too hard, to bruise the roots 

 and prevent the ingress of air and water. 



Make the hole for a young tree of medium size, four 

 feet across each way, renew the subsoil, if necessary or 

 advisable, and have ready good earth, properly enriched, 

 with which to fill up. Before placing the tree, stamp 

 the bottom of the hole flat and firm, to discourage the 

 roots from running down too deep. If, the tree has 

 previously been well planted, or well rooted, disturb it 

 as little as possible, but remove it with as large a ball 

 of earth as can be, undisturbed round the root. If, on 

 the other hand, it has been badly planted, is removed 

 from a bad soil, or needs root-pruning, on account of too 

 rampant growth, or canker on the root, shake off the 

 earth, fill in the hole just so that the lowest of the roots 

 can be spread abroad in their natural position and eleva- 

 tion, placing the collar of the tree above the natural 

 surface of the ground. Fill in the earth over the first 

 layer of roots, spread another layer and fill in, and con- 

 tinue the same until all the roots are spread in their 

 right position and right elevation. Throw "In the earth 



