A Few Rules and Maxims. 277 



narrow ones, wherein the roots are all huddled together; make the holes 

 large and deep, either with the plow or spade, fill the bottom partly with 

 fine, rich, moist, surface soil, free from lumps and manure, and spread the 

 roots out on this, then fill in with very fine pulverized earth, setting the 

 plant, in light land, one or two inches deeper than it grew naturally ; and 

 in heavy land, at the same depth. If manure is used, spread it on the 

 surface, around, not up against, the stem of the plant. 



21. Both, for the sake of economy and thoroughness, use the plow 

 and cultivator rather than fork and hoe, whenever it is possible. Ground 

 can be laid out with a view to this rule. 



22. In cultivating crops among trees, use short whiffletrees, with the 

 traces so fastened as to prevent the young trees from being scratched and 

 wounded. 



23. Save, with scrupulous economy, all wood ashes, soapsuds, and all 

 articles having fertilizing qualities. A compost heap is like a sixpenny 

 savings bank. Small and frequent additions soon make a large aggregate. 

 The fruit grower and his land usually grow rich together, and in the same 

 proportion. 



24. Once more I repeat in handling and setting out plants, never let 

 the roots shrivel and dry out. After plants and cuttings are in the ground, 

 never leave them just long enough to dry out and die. Keep them moist 

 not wet and sodden, but moist all the time. In setting out plants, 

 especially strawberries, spread out the roots, and make the ground very 

 firm about them. In trenching stock, put the roots down deeply, and 

 cover well half-way up the stems. The gardener who fails to carry out 

 the principles under this number has not learned the letter A of his 

 business. 



Mr. William Parry gives the following rule for ascertaining the number 

 of plants required for one acre of land, which contains 43,560 square 

 feet: 



" Multiply the distance in feet between the rows by the distance the 

 plants are set apart in the row, and their product will be the number of 

 square feet for each plant or hill, which, divided into the number of feet in 

 an acre, will show how many plants or hills the acre will contain, thus : 



Blackberries ................ 8 feet by 3 = 24)43, 5^( I ^ I 5 plants. 



Raspberries ................ 7 " 3 = 2i)43,56o( 2,074 plants. 



Strawberries ................ 5 " i = 5)43>s6o( 8,7 12 plants. 



Strawberries ................ 3 " 16 in. 4)43, 56o( 10,890 plants." 



The same rule can be applied to all other plants or trees. 



