44 OF, THE FORMATION SECT. III. 



box from the very first (as soon as rooted) and al- 

 ways after, as low as possible : Clip it twice a year, 

 April and July. 



An ORCHARD may be spoken of here; i. e. a 

 spot to plant standard fruit trees in, which are for- 

 bidden a place in the garden ; but it must not be a 

 small spot. The front row, should be half stancU 

 ards, or before these may be a row of dwarfs ; ob- 

 serving to plant the most towering sorts (in kind) 

 of the full standards behind. The ground should 

 be dug thoroughly as low as the proper soil is, and 

 if not naturally good, let it be improved by dung 

 duly rotted, and worked well in a full spade deep, 

 In a strong soil, lime should make a part of the ma- 

 nure. If the ground be naturally uneven, it will not 

 be proper to level it, as this would rob the higher 

 parts, and needlessly enrich the lower. A strong 

 cool soil does best for an orchard, but it must not 

 be wet. If it holds up water, it should be well 

 drained by deep covered trenches. 



A piece of ground designed for an orchard, would 

 be greatly improved by first cultivating it deeply 

 as a kitchen garden for a year or two, manuring 

 well at the time : Or, give it a good tillage ; let it 

 have a winter's frost, by deep trenching into high 

 ridges, turned over in spring, and summer fallowed. 

 The trees being planted, at proper distances, the 

 ground may be kept under some sort of crop, for 

 several years to come, with some annual dressing, 

 In a large orchard, the plough may be used for corn, 

 potatoes, carrots, c. If the soil is poor, frequent 

 opportunity should be taken to give it a little ma- 

 nure, that there may be proper food prepared for 

 the roots, as they extend. No doubt many orchards 

 wpuld bear much better, if the whole ground (as, 



