332 HOW TO GROW GOOD ORCHARDS. 



is far better to employ him than to trust the matter 

 to those who know little or nothing of the subject. 



Much has been said and written upon the subject 

 of rearing fruit trees, and when matter of this kind 

 is addressed to the nurseryman, it is to be welcomed if 

 based upon sound botanical principles, but we cannot 

 recommend the farmer to grow his own fruit trees, 

 as he rarely pays sufficient attention to their youthful 

 training, and we therefore recommend the purchase 

 of fruit trees from the best growers, to get the best 

 sorts, and to get well-grown and healthy examples. 

 These should be carefully lifted and planted as soon as 

 possible after leaving the nursery, always avoiding 

 trees that have hawked the market week after week, 

 even if procurable for nothing. 



Some people insist upon the propriety of planting 

 poor trees grown in poor soil, but our experience has 

 shown that nothing could be a greater mistake. It 

 is true that these often fruit soon ; but getting crops 

 of fruit from trees only a quarter grown, though 

 sometimes welcome to a tenant with no sure holding, 

 is a matter which should always be looked to by the 

 landlord, who, indeed, should pay greater attention 

 to his orchards than is usually the case, if his desire 

 be to hand them down to his successors in anything 

 like a <?ood bearing condition. That fruit trees must 

 in time get old is quite true ; at the same time it may 

 be stated as an important fact, that poor stunted trees 

 on the one hand, or those too prodigal of their youth 

 on the other, will too surely result in decrepitude ere 

 half the span of a healthy tree be attained. 



Peeling so strongly as we do the importance of 

 healthy young trees from a good soil and climate to 



