46 IRRIGATION FARMING. 



put it down a foot deeper in the bottom of the tree 

 hole and blow up the packed earth by exploding the 

 same; and at the bottom of the hole put a layer of pure 

 gypsum, place the tree roots on the gypsum, take clean 

 chaff straw, soil and gypsum, about eight pounds of 

 the latter and half soil, and half clean straw, and fill 

 up the hole made for the tree. Do not in this case use 

 the top-soil to fill the hole, as would be best to do if 

 there were no alkali. When the tree is planted, take 

 an old fruit can, put it in the fire to spring it apart, 

 and then place it around the body of the tree above 

 the crown roots and at the surface of the ground, the 

 can to be so placed that the top may come even with 

 the ground's surface, and should be filled with gypsum. 

 The best kind of pear trees to plant in alkali soil are 

 Beurre Hardy, Winter Nelis, and Trout. The Bartlett 

 does not do so well. 



