SOIL, FERTILIZERS, SITUATIONS 



55 



As this method means 

 a lot of work it may not 

 appeal to the planter, 

 even though it is recog- 

 nized as one of the best of 

 garden practices. Most 

 of the good effect of it 

 may be secured as follows: 

 Dig out and throw in a 

 pile the surface soil in a 

 circle around the place 

 where a bush or a plant 

 is to be set say five feet 

 diameter for a tree, two 



feet for Currant and Gooseberry bushes and a trench, say fifteen to 

 eighteen inches wide, for Raspberries and Blackberries. Next dig out 

 and throw in a different pile the subsoil to the depth of six to twelve 

 inches. Now throw in a liberal shovelful of well-decayed manure 

 and any available old bones. Next shovel in the surface soil, adding 

 ground bone, etc. In this soil set the tree or shrub and use other 

 surface soil to fill the hole. Finally scatter the pile of subsoil thinly 

 upon the surface, or place on top of the filled-in surface soil around 

 the trees. Some of the most satisfactory results I have ever had in 

 planting have been secured in this way 



Fig. 28. How easy to prune and gather fruit from 

 low-headed trees 



FERTILIZERS 



Under ordinary garden conditions where vegetables and small 

 fruits are grown among the trees it is not likely that the trees will 

 suffer seriously from over-feeding, so even fresh manure may be applied 

 rather freely in the Spring or late in the Fall. This is not advisable, 

 especially with the Peach and the Grape, where no other crop is grown 

 to take care of any excess plant food that may be present. The 

 "richness" of manure depends mainly upon the nitrogenous materials 

 present^ The most conspicuous functions of this material are to 

 make sturdy growth of twigs, large dark-green leaves and when in excess 

 to delay, reduce or prevent fruitfulness. Moreover, the long sappy 

 growths often induced by excess of nitrogen are almost sure to suffer 

 from frost during Winter. Care must therefore be exercised to avoid 

 giving too much manure to bush and tree fruits. Should the growth 

 of the twigs be decidedly inferior and the leaves small and their color 

 a sickly yellowish instead of a healthy green, manure should be added. 

 The best time to apply it is in early Spring. 



