ORCHARDS. 37 



After providing proper drainage, the entire ground slionld be 

 spaded to a depth of from eighteen inches to two feet, and the 

 top soil thoroughly mixed with the subsoil. The importance of 

 this can hardly be overestimated. It is essential for the growth 

 and health of the trees in all seasons, and absolutely necessary 

 for their protection in times of long-continued drought. The 

 results in this vicinity the last two seasons afford- the strongest 

 proof of this. Trees planted in deep and well-prepared soil 

 have been apparently but little affected by the severe droughts, 

 whilst in soils even best adapted naturally for their growth, 

 which had not been prepared by spading to a proper depth, the 

 trees either prematurely lost their foliage, or the leaves withered 

 and drooped, and the growth of the fruit was stopped. 



Many people neglect this important preparation of the 

 ground, on account of the expense which it requires. This is 

 a great mistake. The cost of properly spading land to the 

 requisite depth is from $100 to $150 per acre ; and, if a person 

 who proposes to cultivate trees on a large scale is unable to 

 afford the necessary expense at once, he will find it in the end 

 far more profitable to prepare and plant with trees, such portion 

 of his ground each year as he can afford to, properly. A few 

 trees carefully planted in ground thus prepared will be more 

 remunerative than a much larger number set in soil without 

 preparation ; and when trees once get started in a deep soil, 

 they are very sure to live and thrive, if properly protected and 

 manured. Many have the impression that the life of the pear 

 tree is more uncertain than that of any other tree suited to our 

 soil and climate, even under the best care and culture. This 

 impression is an erroneous one. Pear orchards can be seen in 

 this vicinity, planted within the last ten or twenty years, in 

 which not one tree in fifty has died. 



Planting and Manuring. 

 Few trees require a more fertile soil than the pear. As the 

 ground is being prepared it should be enriched, if possible, with 

 well-composted manures, which should be incorporated with the 

 soil near the surface. If the manure is not well rotted, and 

 the trees are planted immediately after it has been put in the 

 ground, there is danger of injury to the roots. If thoroughly 

 composted manure cannot be obtained, it is better not to spade 



