244 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



How to plant the stock. Plow the land and fit it 

 well. As all fruit grounds should be put into culti- 

 vated crops for the first two years, at least, it will 

 generally be found advisable to plow the entire area 

 before the place is set, rather than to plow strips 

 where the trees or plants are to go, for the land 

 can then be shaped better with reference to surface 

 drainage and general convenience. 



Trees should be set neither in dead -furrows nor 

 on back -furrows. Level culture should generally be 

 adopted from the start, unless it is known to be 

 necessary to displace surface water ; and in that case 

 it may be questioned if the land is fit for fruit 

 plants. In all ordinary soils, holes must be dug 

 by hand for the tree fruits. Plowing out a deep 

 furrow in the line of the rows may lessen the dig- 

 ging and aid in getting the trees in line. The hole 

 should be dug broad and ample ; and the harder 

 the soil the larger ought the hole to be, for in 

 that case the loose dirt which is filled in must give 

 the tree its start. In loose and deep soils, the 

 hole need be no larger than the spread of the 

 roots. Chop up the soil in the bottom of the hole, 

 or throw in a few shovelfuls of loose surface earth. 



Trees should be set an inch or two deeper than 

 they stood in the nursery, for the loose earth will 

 settle and wash away in the course of the season, 

 even if it is well packed when the trees are set. 

 Dwarf pears should be set from three to six inches 

 below the bud. The roots are trimmed, as ex- 

 plained further on. Every care must be exercised 



