On plantmg Fruit and Evergreen Trees. 155 



[I have never found much difficulty in insuring the growth 

 of evergreens ; and have always been most successful in spring 

 planting. The cedar grows so plentifully without culture, that 

 it becomes a nuisance. The hemlock spruce I prefer ; and 

 have no trouble in its growth or propagation. It has been gene- 

 rally deemed improper and injurious, to suffer sods to remain 

 near the stocks of trees. Stone fruits require open soil, and, 

 whilst young, frequent stirring in the vicinity of the stock. 

 Orchards are much improved by occasional ploughing. Peach 

 orchards, (when they thrive at all) have wonderfully succeeded, 

 when swine root among the trees ; and also devour the fallen 

 fruit, with the vermin it contains. Plumbs and other stone 

 fruit are also benefitted in this way. The practice of thus suf- 

 fering swine unrung, to run at large, is slovenly and disreput- 

 able in most instances ; but sometimes good comes out of evil. 



My hemlock hedges, planted in loose ground, some whereof 

 are above eighty years old, are now in perfect vigour. The 

 shears have just done their office on the octogenarians ; and 

 have given them verdant, neat, and renovated surfaces. I have 

 hedges from four, five, to twenty two and eighty years old. No 

 blast, mildew, nor decay in any part, disfigures them. Some 

 cedars, planted among the younger hedges, blot and disgrace 

 them, in winter especially, by their dull and inferior appearance. 

 The Juniper preserves its verdure and health ; and is the most 

 impervious. It is prickly and close; so that it lacerates the 

 noses and lips of sheep or cattle attempting to penetrate or 

 browse it. See our 1st vol. p. 249, for an account of my hedges. 



R. Peters. 



July, 1825.] 



f Accident, the source of many useful discoveries, taught a 

 friend in Philadelphia county, the proper time to plant out ever- 

 green trees. Some years since, I remarked that many which 

 he put round his house had died, while a row of others were in 

 full vigour. Upon inquiring into the cause of this circumstance, 

 he informed me that those which died, had been transplanted 

 before the commencement of vegetation, while those that lived 

 had been put down, after the sap had ascended. Acting upon 

 the principle of the discovery, he has since always succeeded 

 in causing young evergreen trees to grow, when transplanted. 

 Upon recently admiring the vigorous state of an avenue of young 



