OP PLUMS. 21 



ceding year for melon and cucumber beds ; and 

 be careful to keep the mould a proper height 

 above the border, and the roots of your trees as 

 near the surface as possible, spreading them hori- 

 zontally. If there are any tap-roots, they should 

 always be cut off, as should also the fine hairy 

 roots, as they are liable to get mouldy and rot, 

 and thereby bring on a putrefaction of the mould 

 about the root of the tree. If the roots are not 

 spread near the surface of the ground, it will pre- 

 vent the sun and air from penetrating to them ; 

 and the fruit, of course, will not have so fine a 

 flavour. 



' Never cut the stems of young plum-trees when 

 first planted, but leave them till the buds begin to 

 break ; then you may head them down to five or 

 more eyes, always observing to leave an odd one 

 for the leading shoot: remember to cut sloping 

 towards the wall, and as near to an eye as possible. 

 Thus managed, the shoots will soon fill the wall 

 with fine wood. If you find that some of the 

 shoots are too luxuriant, you may pinch the tops 

 off with your finger and thumb, about the begin- 

 ning of June, in the first year after planting ; by 

 doing which you will obtain plenty of wood to fill 

 the bottom of the wall. A great deal depends on 

 the first and second year's management of your 

 trees. 



The distance from each other at which plum- 

 trees should be planted against a wall depends 

 on the height of the wall. If the wall be ten 



c 3 



