perspiration of the lea\ cs may be ko great, as to 

 exhaust the supply of sap faster than the roots 

 can collect it. A little judgment only is neces- 

 sury, to see at a glance, how much of the top 

 must be pruned away before planting the tree, 

 to equalize the loss between the branches aud 

 the roots. 



When it is necessary to transplant fruit trees 

 of large size, the best practice is to prepare 

 them previously- by digging a trench round the 

 whole mass of roots, undermining them, and 

 cutting off all roots projecting beyond tliis line. 

 The trench should be dug at such a distance 

 from the tree as will include all the large and 

 suflicieut ball of roots, and it should be done in 

 the spring, or before midsummer, when it is de- 

 sirable to remove the tree the next year. After 

 all the roots that extend to this circular trench 

 are cutoff the earth is replaced, and by the sea- 

 son followiug au abundance of* small fibres is 

 sent out ^y the amputated roots, which, when 

 the ^vhole is now removed, \s\\\ insure the suc- 

 cess aud .speedy growth of the tree. This is 

 more completely the case when the tree is pre- 

 pared two years before transplanting. A vari- 

 ation of this mode, which has been found quite 

 a.s successful aud less laborious, consists in leav- 

 ing the trench open, and covering it with boards 

 only, or boards with a top layer of turf. The 

 tree then is somew hat checked in its growth, it 

 throws out an abundance of small fibres into the 

 ball of eartli containing the roots, and is the next 

 season transplanted with great ease and safety. 



The proper size for transplanting varies some- 

 ^vhat with the sort of tree, and the kind of cul- 

 ture intended. It is, however, a maxim equally 

 %vell .settled, both among theorists and the best 

 practical men, that health, immediate vigor, and 

 duration, are all greatly promoted by trans- 

 planting fruit trees of small size — from "three to 

 six or -seven feet. We are fully aware ^^•ith 

 what impatience the beginner, or a person who 

 knows litde of the culture of tree.s, looks upon 

 trees of this size — one who is eager to plant an 

 orchard, and stock a garden with large trees, 

 thinking to gather a crop next year. The latter 

 may indeed be done, but the transplanting so 

 affects the tree, that its first scanty crop is fol- 

 lowed by a long season of rest, aud feeble 

 growth, while the plantation of young trees is 

 making wood rapidly, and soon comes into a 

 healthy aud long-continued state of productive- 

 nes.s — often long, indeed, before the larire trees 

 have fairly amved at that condition. The small 

 tree, transplanted with its system of roots and 

 branches entire, suffers little or no check ; the 

 older and larger tree, losing part of its roots, re- 

 quires several years to resume its former viaror. 

 The con.stitution of the small tree is healthy and 

 unimpaired ; that of the larire is frequently 

 aiuch enfeebled. A stout and vigorous habit — 

 what the nurserymen call a pood stocky plant 

 — is the true criterion of merit in selecting fruit 

 trees for transplanting. 



Trees intended for orchards, being often more 

 exposed than those in gardens, should be some- 

 what larger — not less than six, or more than 

 eisht feet is the best size. For gardens, all ex- 

 perienced cultivators agi'ee that a smaller size is 

 preferable ; we prefer plants two years old from 

 the graft. Most gardeners abroad, when they 

 select trees w^ith more than usual care, take 

 ■what arc called maiden plant.s — those one year 

 old from the graft, and th.ere can be no doubt 

 diat, taking into account health, duration, and 

 the ease with which such a tree can be made to 



grow into any form, this is truly the preferable 

 size for removal into a fmit garden. But we 

 are an impatient people, and it is not till another 

 after ceutui-y of trial and experience in the cul- 

 ture of fruit trees, that cultivators generally in 

 this country will become aware of the truth of 

 this fact. 



The facility with which the difTerent fruit trees 

 may be transplanted differs considerably. Plums 

 are generally removed with most success and 

 after them nearly in the order as follows : — 

 Cluinces, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Nectarines, 

 Apricots, and Cherries ; the latter succeeding 

 with some difficulty when of large size. 



Laying-in by the heeh is a practice adopted 

 as a temporary kind of planting, when a larger 

 quantity of trees is at hand than can be set out 

 immediatel}-. A trench is opened, and the roots 

 are laid in and covered with soil, the tops being 

 pre\-iously placed in a sloping position, inclining 

 to within a few feet of the surface. In this way 

 the}- are kept fresh and in good order, until it is 

 convenient to plant them finally. In northern 

 districts, where the autumn is often too severe 

 for planting, and the spring is frequently' too 

 late to receive trees in time fiom iiureries farther 

 south, it is a common and successful mode to 

 procure trees in autumn and lay them in by the 

 heels until spring, covering over the tops of the 

 more tender sorts if necessary vN-ith coarse litter. 



In planting an orchard, always avoid placing 

 the trees in the same spot or near where an old 

 tree stood before. Experience has taught us 

 that the growth of a young tree, in such a posi- 

 tion, is weak and feeble ; the nourishment suit- 

 able to that kind of tree having already been 

 exhausted by a previous growth, and the soil 

 being half filled with old aud decayed roots 

 which are detrimental to the health of the 

 young tree. 



THE POSITION OF FRUIT TREES. SOIL AND 

 ASPECT. 



In our favorable climate many fruit trees will 

 thrive and produce some fruit in almost any soil, 

 except dry sand, or wet .s^vamps. But there is 

 much to be gained in all climates by a judicious 

 .selection of soil, when this is in our pow er, or 

 by that improvement which may generally be 

 effected in inferior soils where we are neces- 

 sarily limited to such. As we shall, hi treating 

 the culture of each genus of fiiiit, state more in 

 detail the soils especially adapted to its growth, 

 our remarks here will be confined to the subject 

 of soils generallj-, for the orchard and fruit 

 gai'den. The soils usually selected for making 

 plantations of fruit trees may be divided into 

 light sandy loams, gravelly loams, strong loams, 

 and clayey loams; the first having a large pro- 

 portion of sand, and the last a large proportion 

 of clay. 



The soil most inviting to the eye is a light 

 sandy loam, and, as it is aL<o a very common 

 soil, more than half the fniit gardens in the coun- 

 try are compo.sed of this mould. The easy 

 manner in ^vhicll it is\vorked, owing to its loose 

 and very friable nature, and the rapidity with 

 \\'hich, from its warmth, crops of all kinds come 

 into bearing, cause it to be looked upon with 

 almost universal favor. Notwithstanding this, a 

 pretty careful observation, for several years, has 

 convinced us that a ligJit .sandy .soil is, on the 

 whole, the worst .soil for i'niit trees. Under the 

 bright skies of July and August, a fiiiit tree re- 

 quires a soil which will retain and atibrd a mod- 



