12 ORCHARD FRUIT TREE CULTURE 



and they have scarcely recovered thoroughly by budding time, 

 whereas the autumn-planted stocks have been strong enough to 

 defy any ordinary check. Experienced budders will confirm 

 what we say on this point. The cause for this is very apparent, 

 for if a stock is planted in November and taken up for inspection 

 a month later it will be found to have made many new roots 

 and is thus " established " ; while a stock planted in January is 

 found to be in the same condition in March as when it was planted. 

 The conditions, then, are all in favour of the former. 



How TO PLANT 



The preparation of the ground is well worth careful consideration. 

 If it happens to be foul with spear grass, or other perennial weed, 

 it must be thoroughly cleaned, for, as the stocks will occupy it for 

 three or four years, no favourable opportunity occurs later. We 

 have seen whole quarters of young fruit trees in a sorry plight 

 because sufficient attention was not given to this at the right time. 

 Obviously the right time is when the plot is free from a crop. 



Clean the ground, then, as a first condition. Manure, but not 

 heavily. If that applied for the preceding crop is not spent, no more 

 need be given, for the stock itself needs but little, and it is always 

 possible in the autumn or spring to dig in more between the rows 

 when it is wanted. We are ourselves inclined to place a higher 

 value, at this stage, upon cultivation than upon manuring, and by 

 cultivation we refer to the satisfactory mechanical condition of the 

 soil when worked. The tilth should be not less than full spade 

 deep, that is, with the spade driven in horizontally and not slanting. 

 We would as a matter of preference recommend double digging 

 where the subsoil is amenable, but do not insist upon that. 

 Those who resort to this deep working know that the advantages 

 are solid and undoubted. 



Should the soil be heavy it must not be worked when wet, for we 

 have seen very sorry results on quarters where planting has meant 

 the turning over of a solid block of wet heavy earth on to the roots 

 of the stock. Almost as well might it have been solid rock ! 



The development of the actual root-system of the stock, upon 

 which so much of its future depends, is itself very dependent 



