30 



TRANSPLANTING. 



down in grass, let it never be cut, or if cnt, left to decay on th& 

 ground where it grew. A top dressing of lime at the rate of 

 twenty bushels to the acre may be applied with benefit, especi- 

 ally about the time the trees come into bearing, to be renewed 

 every three or four years. Ashes, leached or tmleached, crushed 

 or ground bones, gypsum or plaster, chip manure from the old 

 wood pde, horn shavings, wool waste, and occasionally a light 

 coating of well rotted barn-yard manure, will all be found benefi- 

 cial to the orchard, applying these in such quantities, and at such 

 intervals, as will keep the orchard in a healthy condition, but not 

 induce an excessive wood growth. After the trees have become 

 so large as to shade most of the ground, it will no longer be pro- 

 fitable to grow crops of any kind in the orchard. It may now be 

 seeded down to grass, which should not be removed from the 

 orchard, but suffered to remain and decay on the ground. This 

 will serve as an eKceUent protection to the roots, and by its 

 decomposition enrich the sod. A dressing of ashes, bone dust 

 or plaster, should not be neglected ; it will be amply returned ia 

 the increased beauty, size and quantity of fruit. 



To Protect the Trees prom Mice, which are often very 

 destructive to young trees by gnawing off the bark at the surface 

 of the groiind, and, when they become numerous, injure even bear- 

 ing trees, the trees may be painted with the following mixture, 

 which is recommended by Downing. Take one spadeful of hot 

 slaked lime, one of clean, fresh cow dung, haK a spadeful of soot, 

 and a handful of flour of sulphur ; mix the whole together with 

 sufl&cient water to bring it to the consistence of thick paint. In 

 the autumn paint the trees with this mixture from the ground to 

 the highest snow line, choosing dry weather in which to apply 

 it. This is a perfectly safe application, and has been proved by 

 repeated trial to be entirely harmless to the tree. In those parts 

 of the country where the snow is seldom deep, it has been foimd 

 that a mound of earth raised around the tree to the height of a. 

 foot or so, enough to be above the ordinary level of the snow, 

 will fully preserve the trees from their ravages, for they always- 



