ORCHARD CULTURE. 375 



last of the evening sun and so gets a large share of warmth which 

 remains during the night. 



The preparation of the soil and the manner of planting the trees are 

 of the utmost importance, and should be thoroughly well done. A 

 rich soil is not required. If the land is able to produce a good crop 

 of corn, potatoes or clover, it is rich enough; if made too rich the 

 trees are apt to make too much wood, or a weak, rank growth, which 

 must be cut away by pruning, and thus really exhaust the tree and 

 put off its bearing period for some considerable time. The following 

 details will suggest a proper method for the average conditions. 

 The planter of course must study his particular case and make a 

 judicious application of these suggestions. The land should be well 

 plowed in the fall or late summer, as deeply as possible; deep plowing 

 in this case is beneficial, when it might be otherwise for an ordinary 

 crop. The next thing to be done is to prepare a sufficient quantity 

 of good compost of rotted leaves, sod, scrapings of the barn-yard, 

 lime, wood ashes and some rotted manure. These are well mixed 

 and put into a heap ready for use. The trees are then ordered to be 

 delivered at a special time, and for safety, and the proper guidance 

 of the nurseryman, full and accurate directions should be given for 

 shipping. The orders should be sent so as to give the nurseryman 

 ample time to ship the trees. The next work is to stake out the 

 ground, and dig the holes, two feet deep, and large enough to give the 

 roots ample spread, say four feet wide. The top soil should be 

 thrown on one side by itself. The compost is then hauled onto the 

 ground, and a liberal quantity of it is thrown into the hole and 

 spread, and partly mixed with the earth in it, being left slightly 

 raised in the centre for the tree to rest upon. Everything is now in 

 readiness for the trees. When these arrive, they should be unpacked 

 and sorted at once, and each variety laid in the wagon by itself. 

 Each variety should be planted separately in a row or block. The 

 wagon is then taken to the field. The planter, who has a boy to assist 

 him, takes a tree, sets it firmly upon the earth in the hole so that it 

 is a little deeper than it has been in the nursery, and while the 

 assistant holds it, he spreads the roots and carefully works the soil 

 among them so that they are in as natural a position as possible. 

 This is very important and should be well done. After this, the rest 

 of the top soil is thrown in and well trodden with the feet. Then 

 the subsoil is put in with a little of the compost mixed with it and 

 thoroughly well firmed with the feet, but left in a slight mound, so as 

 to turn water from the stem. After all the trees have been thus 

 planted, each one should be properly pruned, the young wood being 

 cut back one-third and the head properly shaped. Fall planting, 



