232 THE ORCHARD. [March. 



A wide circular hole must be dug for every tree, capacious enough 

 to receive all the roots freely without touching the sides, but by no 

 means of a greater depth than the natural good soil: if you make 

 a deep hole, basin like, into the clay bottom, or unfriendly sub-soil, 

 which is too frequently done, and plant the roots therein, even fill- 

 ing it round with good earth will not do, for as soon as it pushes its 

 roots beyond this, they must enter into the bad and unfriendly soil, 

 which will not fail to bring on the decay of the most healthy tree, 

 and can never afford it suitable juices for perfecting delicious fruit; 

 besides the lodgment of water about the roots in this confined basin 

 in wet seasons, will cause the tree to become sickly, and to get 

 overrun with moss, and full of canker. 



When the holes are all ready, proceed to planting, placing a tree 

 in each, having its roots trimmed as before, one person holding the 

 stem erect, whilst another casts in the earth, previously breaking it 

 small; let it be settled in equally between all the roots, by gently 

 and frequently shaking the tree a little up and down, which will 

 cause the mould to settle in close about all the small roots and 

 fibres; and also to raise the tree gradually up, that the crown of the 

 roots may not be more than about three or four inches below the 

 general surface even in the deepest soil. When the hole is filled 

 up, tread it gently, first round the outside, then near the stem of 

 the tree; forming the surface a little hollow, to admit of giving 

 water, if found necessary, with more convenience; and if on the 

 top of all is laid some inverted turf, to the width of the holes, form- 

 ing it into a sort of circular bank, it will support the tree, and guard 

 the roots from powerful heat, drought and parching winds; observ- 

 ing that each tree stands perfectly upright, and that they range 

 exactly in their proper rows. 



Should the earth be rather shallow, so that you cannot cover the 

 roots a sufficient depth with good soil, you must have some hauled 

 for that purpose to where each tree is to be planted, or collected to 

 such places, from the general surface, and bank the roots around 

 therewith; for there is no alternative between planting them in the 

 good soil, where their roots can take a wide extended horizontal 

 direction, and lie within the reach of the genial influence of heat, 

 rain, dew and air, anil that of an untimely end if planted too deep. 



When you desire to remove large trees of any kind, the best 

 method will be to open trenches about their roots, immediately pre- 

 vious to the setting in of the frosts, leaving as much earth around 

 them as you think can be conveniently moved or carried with the 

 trees, cutting at a proper distance the large wide spreading roots, 

 and leaving only as many uncut as are sufficient to prevent their 

 being blown down; when you find the earth sufficiently bound by 

 the frost, work in under, and take them up with the balls, place 

 them on a sled, and so carry them to their place of destination: 

 previous to planting, smooth all the wounded parts, and prune or 

 thin their tops in proportion to their loss of roots. 



When a defect in an old orchard is to be supplied, it will be neces- 

 sary to take away the earth where the old tree stood to a proper 

 depth, and to the extent of a circle of ten feet in diameter, which 



