APPLE ORCHARDS. 61 



ricli loam, decayed wood and leaves, and only a small quantity of 

 barn manure ; the object of makin^^ the holes extensive and filling 

 with rich compost is to give a loose rich soil for the small roots to 

 work in, the iirst year or two ; in planting out the trees, instead of 

 making a hollow to place the roots m, construct a hillock to place 

 tliem iqwn, and all mutilated roots should be cut off in a slanting 

 direction on the under side before setting ; here again, care should 

 be taken in placing the roots in their natural order, and the fine 

 compost sprinkled in and about the roots through fingers till the 

 tree will stand of itself; it is well to be thus careful in setting 

 trees, as the roots send out fibers in all directions through the soil 

 for food. 



Frequently great mistakes are made in selecting trees from the 

 nursery ; trees of poor quality are purcliased for the reason that 

 they are cheap, and the argument is used that they will do about as 

 well in the end. Now it is more eco^^iomical to make a journey of 

 twenty miles and purchase the best trees in a good nursery and 

 pay 30 or even 40 cents than to have very indifferent ones brought 

 to the field and given. 



It would also pay the expense to make this journey and take 

 charge in removing the trees and spending hours in the work than 

 have them taken up as they frequently are in as many minutes with 

 broken and mutilated trunks and roots ; a large amount of good 

 roots are of more consequence than fine looking trunks and heads ; 

 and all trees should be set as soon as possible after being taken 

 from the nursery, while their rootlets are yet soft and tender ; if 

 trees can not be set out till the roots become dry and withered, 

 some planters have recommended to bury trees root and branch 

 for a day or two till the buds become plump and the roots soft ; and 

 if the transplanting can be done in a cloudy or misty day " all the 

 better ; " and above all we would say to the young farmer or or- 

 chardist beware of itinerant tree pedlars who are able to make a 

 good display and talk of new varieties, and perhaps give their 

 large experience as orchardists, when they never cared for or set 

 out the first tree. 



Mulching, says Mr. Barry, of Mount Hope nurseries, should be 

 looked upon as an indispensable operation in all cases. It con- 

 sists in laying on the surface of the ground around the trees to the 

 distance of three feet or so, a covering of half decomposed manure, 

 saw dust, spent tan bark, etc., two or three inches deep. This 

 prevents the soil from evaporating and maintains a unilbrmity of 

 heat and moisture which is highly favorable to the growth of 



