34 CULTIVATION OF 



circumstance into consideration, it will probably be 

 found, that forty feet is the most eligible distance for 

 a farm orchard. It will admit sufficient sun and air, 

 in our dry and warm climate ; and until the trees shall 

 l>e fully grown, will allow of a profitable application 

 of the ground to the cultivation of grain and grass. 



Much trouble will be saved, and much accuracy in 

 planting will be ensured, by marking the sites of trees 

 by stakes, previous to digging the holes. In shallow 

 soils, I would recommend making the holes of the 

 depth of two spits of earth, scattering the lower spit 

 at some distance ; and supplying its place by an e- 

 qual quantity of the neighbouring surface earth 

 the depth of the hole, must depend on that of the 

 sub- soil. 



An eligible mode, which I have practiced with suc- 

 cess in a large portion of my orchards, on the lighter 

 soils, is to supply the place of the stratum of poor earth, 

 by one or two loads of meadow mud, ditch banks, or 

 good surface soil, laid round each tree after planting ; 

 ploughing the ground for a fallow crop the next spring, 

 when the mud has become completely pulverized by 

 the frost: the size of the hole should be sufficiently 

 large to admit a spade handle, when laid horizontally 

 in the bottom ; affording ample space for the expan- 

 sion of the roots in loose rich earth. Well digested 



