March.] THE ORCHARD. 229 



part of this ground you may plant apples and pears; in the lighter, 

 plums and cherries; and in the lightest, peach, nectarine, and apri- 

 cots. Generally speaking ground that will produce good crops of 

 natural grass, or kitchen garden vegetables, is suitable for an 

 orchard; if of a loamy nature it will be a particular advantage; any 

 soil, however, of a good quality, not too light and dry, nor too 

 heavy, stubborn, or wet, and not less than one spade deep of good 

 staple will be proper lor this purpose. 



Where the soil is naturally defective, such may be assisted by 

 the application of proper manures and composts; applying them to 

 the whole ground if but of moderate extent, or, if extensive, to the 

 place where each tree is to stand, for the space of eight or ten feet 

 in diameter, working it up with the natural soil. 



This trouble, however, in extensive orchards would be very ex- 

 pensive; therefore those who have choice of ground should be very 

 careful to fix upon a proper soil, such as would require but little 

 assistance. 



Preparation of the Ground. 



The preparation of the ground, for the reception of fruit trees, 

 is either by digging a spacious place for each tree, a general trench- 

 ing of the ground, or by ploughing it. If the latter kind of prepa- 

 ration is intended, and that the ground has been under pasture for 

 some years, you should plough the green sward the spring before 

 you plant the trees, and also two or three times in the course of the 

 summer following, to rot the sward, pulverize the earth, and to 

 prevent the growth of weeds. 



Early in October you should plough it again very deep, running 

 the plough twice in each furrow, in order to make it deep and loose 

 for the roots of the trees; which should be planted therein in the 

 course of the same or next month; but if the soil be moist, March 

 will be a much better season. 



Or you may plough as above, eight or ten feet wide for each row 

 of trees, leaving the remainder of the ground untouched. 



In planting orchards on a grass ground, in very good soil, you 

 may dig a hole for each tree capacious enough for the easy recep- 

 tion of all the roots, loosening the bottom well without disturbing 

 any other part of the ground; but when it is trenched either wholly, 

 or some considerable width along the place of each row of trees, it 

 will consequently prove of disproportionate advantage. 



Your orchard should get a good dressing of manure, once in two 

 or three years, whether under crops of grain, or grass; this will 

 prove very serviceable to the trees, and also more than repay your 

 expenses in the abundance of the succeeding crops. If the ground 

 is suftered to be exhausted by successive crops of fruit and grass, or 

 grain, without refreshing it occasionally by manure it will soon, if 

 not extremely fertile, become unfit to produce either. 



Tillage is favourable to the growth of young trees; whereas in 

 grass-ground their progress is comparatively slow for want of the 

 earth being stirred about their roots, and being frequently injured 



