. 4 SOIL. 



nature, as the lighter sort of clay, and an 

 addition of well rotted cow dung. 



It is always better to have a soil too light 

 rather than one, too wet; for when it is found 

 to be too adhesive after the roots of the tree 

 have extended themselves in the border, a 

 remedy to the soil cannot be well applied 

 without damaging them ; but when the soil 

 is too light, it can be remedied, so as to afford 

 the tree a sufficiency of food by an increase 

 of manure or manure water. 



If a soil contains too great a degree of salts 

 S of iron, or any other strong acid, it will in 

 proportion be sterile. This may be ascer- 

 tained by using a magnet to a small portion 

 of the soil, when the iron will cleave to it, 

 and the proportion of each may be ascertain- 

 ed; a good addition of quick lime will reduce 

 the sulphate to a manure, and thus bring such 

 a soil to a fruitful condition. 



None of the kinds of fruit trees treated upon 

 in this work will require a soil more tenacious 

 than that before described; but some will 

 require it to be made rather lighter than 

 others. Apples and Pears, require a strong 

 loam, but rather the lightest for the Pear. 

 Plums, Cherries, Peaches, Nectarines, and 

 ; Apricots, a good deal lighter than for the 

 Apple and Pear. (See further remarks in the 

 Chapter upon each kind of fruit tree.) 

 *^ In forming a fruit tree border, the follow- 

 ing is the method I pursue when the under 



