How to manage a Garden 



in converting the plant food already in the soil into a state 

 available for the plant. As to anchorage, we cannot reason- 

 ably expect a tree to sustain itself immediately on replant- 

 ing, any more than we can expect a lad to provide for his 

 own support in his first situation. It is not only advisable, 

 but really essential that a tree should be staked after plant- 

 ing. Its efforts then are not to sustain itself against the 

 wind, so much as to drive out roots in search of food for 

 its further growth. To plant too deeply we defeat the ends 

 we have in view by thrusting the roots into a cold subsoil, 

 far from the warming influence of the sun and the decom- 

 posing influence of the air, so that they cannot throw out 

 roots for support and sustenance. 



In buying fruit or other trees from a nursery there can 

 be readily discerned on the stock what is known as the 

 "earth line," formed by the juncture of the above and 

 below-ground portions of the stock. It is a safe practice 

 to let this still remain the earth line ; that is, to plant so 

 that the surface is level with the earth line. It must be 

 seen that if too deep planting is censurable, the opposite 

 fault of planting too shallow is still more so, for here the 

 roots, if not immediately on the surface, are not sufficiently 

 below to free them from excessive heat and light. As to 

 supporting itself in such a case, no tree will ever do it. 



Preparation for Planting-. 



For the better illustration of what follows it will be pre- 

 sumed that the subject to be planted is a fruit-tree. Let 

 it be announced at first that the best time for planting these, 

 and in fact most trees, is during the dull season of the year, 



