PRELIMINARY HINTS. 41 



advice. Firstly, because great care must be exercised in 

 selecting the right sort of tree, and, secondly, to merely 

 " stick in " a tree, is almost certain to result in disap- 

 pointment, if the object is to raise a good crop of fruit. 

 If possible, the land should be carefully worked, and 

 deeply dug two or three times, before any attempt is 

 made at planting. 



The best results will be usually obtained by those 

 who spend most liberally for manure. Twenty to thirty 

 loads per acre of good rotten stable manure should be 

 given before planting any fruit orchard, and with heavy 

 crops, fifteen to twenty loads annually might be applied 

 with advantage as the fruit is swelling. 



The land must be always well drained, and if soft 

 water could be stored up for summer irrigation it would 

 be of the greatest service. A good supply of soft or 

 pond water is always invaluable in any branch of 

 horticulture. 



Some advanced cultivators in France, of less than 

 half an acre are employing a steam-engine to give them 

 a constant service of water. In fact, with water, air, 

 heat, and moderate sunshine, or shade if needed, modern 

 science should enable the cultivators of the soil to grow 

 produce to fully four times the present actual return, 

 whilst under glass there is almost no limit to the out- 

 turn obtainable. 



