80 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
for profit. Seven years from planting is almost 
too soon to decide how well I have succeeded, 
but the results attained and the promises for the 
future lead me to believe that there will be no 
failure in my plan. 
The three essentials for beginning such an 
orchard are: prepare the land properly, get good 
stock (healthy and true to name), and plant it 
well. I could do no more this year than to 
plough deep, smooth the surface, and plant as 
well as I knew how. Increased fertility must 
come from future cultivation and top dressing. 
The thing most prominent in my plan was to 
get good trees well placed in the ground before 
cold weather set in. At my time of life I could 
not afford to wait for another autumn, or even 
until spring. I had, and still have, the opinion 
that a fall-planted tree is nearly six months in 
advance of one planted the following spring. 
Of course there can be no above-ground growth 
during that time, but. important things are being 
done below the surface. The roots find time to 
heal their wounds and to send out small searchers 
after food, which will be ready for energetic 
work as soon as the sun begins to warm the soil. 
The earth settles comfortably about these roots 
and is moulded to fit them by the autumn rains. 
If the stem is well braced by a mound of earth, 
and if a thick mulch is placed around it, much 
will be done below ground before deep frosts 
interrupt the work; and if, in the early spring, 
ies 
- — 
me 
ee ee et er ee ee ee 
areas 
