162 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



filled with good earth. If the hole be small, the surrounding 

 land hard, and the roots bent up and cramped, the tree can- 

 not grow, or if after a long time of doubt and delay, it finally 

 survives, it creeps along with a snail's pace, making little re- 

 turn to the planter. If the tree be crooked, confine it with a 

 straw band to a stake firmly planted in the ground. This is 

 the best ligature, as it does not cut the bark, which small cords 

 often do, and it gradually gives way as the tree increases in 

 size. When thus planted, well manured and looked after 

 subsequently, the tree thrives and in a few years rewards 

 the owner with its delicious and abundant fruit. 



The season of planting may be any time after the fall of 

 the leaf by frost in autumn, till its reappearance in the spring, 

 provided the ground be not frozen. Early spring is to be 

 preferred for planting stone fruits. They may be planted 

 while in embryo leaf and blossom with entire success, but it 

 is usually best to do this before the bud is much swollen. 

 If one time be equally convenient with another, we recom- 

 mend fall planting for fruit generally, as the earth then be- 

 comes settled about the root early in the season. This is 

 particularly advantageous when the spring is succeeded by a 

 severe summer's drought. So important is the operation of 

 planting, that it is better to have one tree well planted, than 

 three planted badly, and more fruit may be anticipated within 

 the first ten years if not forever, from the first one than from 

 all the others. It some times occurs that in removing trees 

 from a great distance, they arrive too late in the fall to be 

 properly transplanted. In such case a trench should be dug 

 in soft earth and the trees laid at an angle of about 45, three 

 or four inches apart, the roots carefully placed to prevent 

 breaking, and the earth piled on them for a foot up the trunk, 

 and eight or ten inches over the roots. This will preserve 

 them until spring without detriment to their future growth. 

 The practice is adopted by nurserymen and others, who of- 

 ten transplant their trees from one location to another with- 

 out loss or difficulty. Trees should never be planted in the 

 apple orchard at a less distance than two rods, and forty feet 

 apart is better. Close planting prevents the trees from re- 

 ceiving the requisite quantity of sun and the free circulation of 

 air, both of which are essential to the size, flavor and perfec- 

 tion of fruit. Forty trees will plant an acre, at the distance 

 of two rods apart. The consequence of closer planting is 

 the premature decay of the trees and an inferior quality of 

 fruit. 



