CHAPTER II 

 Planting Fruit Trees 



THE planting of fruit trees can be carried out at any time from 

 October until March, provided that the ground is not too wet, 

 and is not rendered unworkable by frost and snow. Early 

 planting has several advantages : in the first place, the soil 

 is more or less warm, consequently, the trees are inclined to 

 commence root action as soon as planted. They become well 

 settled in the soil before spring, and make better growth the 

 lirst season than those planted after the turn of the year. It 

 is important to have the ground in readiness to receive the 

 young trees directly they arrive from the nursery, so that they 

 an; not kept out of the ground longer than is necessary. If 

 u nv of them are at all dry at the root when they come to hand, 

 Mjak them in clear tepid water before planting. If they are 

 allowed to remain in a dry condition the wood will shrivel, and 

 such a state of aiTairs is a serious check to the satisfactory progress 

 of the trees. 



The Best Soil. Fruit trees succeed best, in a deep, loamy 

 ground, and this ought to be cultivated to a depth of quite 

 '2 feet before planting takes place; if it is dug deeper, so much 

 the better. When the land has been under cultivation for some 

 years, and has been regularly enriched with manures, it is not 

 desirable to add manure at planting time, as such treatment 

 would encourage the trees to grow with undue vigour. It is 

 a better plan to feed the trees when they are bearing full crops 

 of fruiUs. In the, case of land that is being freshly broken up 

 for planting, however, the addition of some well-decayed farm- 

 yard manure is beneficial. This should be incorporated with the 

 lower soil, and should not be, allowed to come in contact with 

 the root.-. Lime rubble ought to be mixed in the soil where 

 ftton*: fruit.-, are to be planted. 



Nee.lli^H to say, planting should be done when the soil is 

 in a fairly dry and friabl" condition, and it is important to avoid 



