20 THE SUBURBANITE'S HANDBOOK 



second year, as you must not force the growth too much. Your 

 object is to check the growth rather than stimulate it; when it 

 reaches the fruiting stage you will then require to stimulate with 

 fertilizers. I have been thus particular in detailing the process of 

 trenching because it is to the proper performance of that manipula- 

 tion that we owe our greatest success in dwarf fruit tree culture. 

 Where the grower has a sufficient area of land that he can avail 

 himself of horse power, he may have the land plowed 12 or 18 inches 

 deep and subsoiled and the surface finely cultivated, as for a garden 

 patch. But above all it must be well drained, either naturally or 

 artificially, as fruit trees will invariably die if they are exposed to 

 cold and wet feet. 



We have prepared our ground, and may now get our trees ; but 

 what shall we do with them? We must first unpack them, and at 

 this time remember that the roots of these young trees are very 

 susceptible to injury from exposure, so have everything in readiness 

 before you open the package. If for any reason you are not ready 

 to plant them permanently, it will be necessary to "heel them in." 

 The expression "heel them in" means to make a temporary planting 

 of them, to secure them from injury until transplanted in their final 

 location, as this is a manipulation that every gardener should be 

 familiar with. I describe it here. Select a spot where no water will 

 stand during the winter, and not having any grass close by to harbor 

 mice, dig a trench deep enough to admit one layer of roots and 

 sloping enough to allow the stems to recline at an angle of about 

 30 degrees with the ground. Having placed one layer of roots in 

 this trench, cover them with MELLOW EARTH EXTENDING 

 WELL UP ON THE BODIES, AND SEE THAT THIS IS FIRMLY 

 PACKED ; then add another layer of trees, overlapping the first, and 

 continuing as at first until all are heeled in. As soon as this is done, 

 cover the tops so well with evergreen boughs that they will be thor- 

 oughly protected from winds. In sections where the winters are 

 very severe trees procured in the fall can be best cared for in this 

 manner and may be planted out permanently in the spring. Having 

 then this trench ready and a pail of water at hand, unpack your 

 trees and look them over. If you find them much dried out, dip them 

 in the pail of water and allow them to remain in it a few minutes ; if 

 any of the roots are bruised or injured, trim them off with a sharp 

 knife or pruning shears, and "heel them in" as directed, emptying 

 the water over the roots in the trench when about half filled with 



