292 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



service in protecting the fruit-garden, independent 

 of their value as an ornamental adjunct of the farm, 



'J'he preparation of the ground for the transplant- 

 ing of fmit-trees must be carefully performed. If it 

 is too stiff, while digging it over, small gravel, sand, 

 lime, coal-ashes, animal or vegetable matters, com- 

 posts that will loosen the soil, in short, almost any- 

 thing that will render it more friable, will be found 

 useful, and may be added. Nothing benefits soils 

 intended for fruit-trees more than exposure to at- 

 mospheric action ; and hence, deep ploughing, or, if 

 necessary, trenching and spading to the proper depth, 

 must be attended to before the operation of trans- 

 planting is attempted. 



The spring of the year will usually be found the 

 best season for transplanting trees, though many 

 prefer the fall ; and, where suitable precautions are 

 used, trees may be removed at almost any season. 

 In favour of fall-planting it has been urged, that, du- 

 ring the winter, the roots are accommodating them- 

 selves to and taking hold of the soil, and therefore 

 will be ready to proceed with vegetation earlier than 

 if they had been displaced immediately before they 

 were to be called into use. So far as regards the 

 fixing of the tree in the earth by its settling around 

 the roots during the winter, this statement is doubt- 

 less correct ; but we are inclined to the opinion tliat 

 roots, during the torpidity or hybernation of the tree 

 grow little or none ; and that this advantage claimed 

 for fall over spring planting is more nominal than 

 real. In the germination of seeds, the first roots 

 are formed from the materials already provided in 

 the seed ; and, after this is expended, ihey do not in- 

 crease until farther matter, elaborated in the newly- 

 opening leaves, is transmitted to them : and. as a ne- 

 cessary consequence, the roots of trees only spread 

 while the' warmth of the sun expands the foliage. 



In transplanting fruit-trees, there is a commoji 

 error in placing them too deep A trifle, say an inch 



