42 SCIENCE AND FRUIT GROWING 



is sufficient to mention here that those originating from the stem 

 were found to be on the average 20 per cent, stouter than those 

 arising from the old roots. 



As ramming the tree into the soil is beneficial, it follows that 

 any erring in the opposite direction will be prejudicial, and this is 

 the chief reason why, when planting in the ordinary way, it is 

 essential for the soil to be in a fairly dry, friable condition, for, 

 when it is wet and sticky, it cannot be shaken in between the 

 roots, and contact between it and these is imperfect. The extent 

 to wh'ch the condition of the soil at planting affects the well- 

 being of a tree when ordinary methods are adopted, was measured 

 in the case of 70 trees of various sorts, half of which were planted 

 with the soil in a favourable condition, and half of them in soil 

 which had been rendered sticky and unsuitable by artificial 

 watering. On lifting the trees three years later it was found that 

 those planted in the soil in good condition had increased 50 per 

 cent, more in weight than the others. 



On the other hand, when ramming is adopted, the condition 

 of the soil need not be considered ; indeed, it is preferable that 

 it should be in a wet condition, rather than dry, and hundreds 

 of trees have been planted at the Fruit Farm, without a single 

 case of failure, when the soil was in a condition such that planting 

 in the ordinary way would have been madness. This, naturally, 

 is a consideration of much practical importance to planters. 



That firm planting is advocated by all horticulturists is well- 

 known, but, as will have been gathered from what has already 

 been said, ramming is something more than mere firm planting, 

 and may be more aptly described, in the language of one of the 

 critics of the method, as planting a tree in gatepost fashion. In 

 heavy ground the consolidation of the soil by this process is 

 considerable, and even after two years it is possible to recognise 

 the rammed ground by stamping on it ; yet the resistance which 

 it would offer to the penetration of the roots is not very materially 

 increased ; this was measured by firing bullets into the rammed 

 and unrammed soil, the relative depth of penetration in the case 

 of the Ridgmont soil being found to be in the proportion of 100 

 to 126. That any such consolidation is good for the soil cannot 

 be maintained, and if the whole ground were treated in the 

 same way the result would, no doubt, be disastrous; but it is 

 only the earth immediately surrounding the roots which is thus 

 consolidated, and the roots soon penetrate this hard ball, and 

 find themselves in surroundings more congenial for continued 

 growth. In the initial stages of new root-formation, where these 



