THE APPLE TREE 



the fall, fill them with manure and let them 

 stand over winter. In the spring remove the 

 manure and place it in the fourth pile, loosen 

 the soil in the bottom of the hole, put in a few 

 shovels full of fine top soil, and place the tree 

 so that the graft will be 2 inches below the 

 surface. Do not crowd the roots. (Fig. 73.) 

 Work the fine top soil in about the roots, then 

 the partly decayed sod, broken up as it is fitted 

 about the roots. Shake the tree up and down 

 a little to make sure that all of the roots are 

 imbedded in the soil. Then stamp the soil 

 down firmly about the roots. The subsoil is 

 placed next, making the soil surface level, and 

 finally the manure is scattered about under the 

 tree but not close to the trunk. This forms a 

 mulch which not only supplies food as it is de- 

 caying but also acts like a sponge in holding 

 the moisture. 



All bruised and broken roots should be 

 pruned off before planting. The limbs should 

 be cut back leaving from three to five buds. 

 After pruning, the position of the limbs should 



281 



