CHAPTER V. 



TRANSPLANTING 



ORCHARDS are usually set out, where the soil is good, with 

 no other preparation than good ploughing. But where the 

 soil possesses only moderate fertility, if the best growth and 

 finest fruit is desired, it must receive additional preparation. 

 When marketing and profit is the chief object, this prepara- 

 tion is of great importance, as the finest fruit often brings 

 double the price obtained for that of common quality. The 

 following directions are therefore worthy of attention. 



PREPARING THE GROUND AND MANURING. Ground intended 

 for trees must be secure from danger of being flooded in wet 

 seasons, and from all liability of becoming water-soaked be- 

 neath the surface. If not naturally dry enough, it must be 

 thoroughly underdrained. 



The next requisite is to deepen and enrich the soil by 

 trenching, unless naturally or previously exactly fitted for 

 trees. The same result may be attained by digging very 

 large holes, say eight feet in diameter, and a foot and a half 

 deep, and filling them with rich earth. But a better way is 

 to plough the whole surface to nearly that depth, and to en- 

 rich it well by manuring. A common plough will descend 

 six or seven inches ; by passing another plough in the furrow 

 that is, by trench-ploughing the soil may be loosened to ten 

 inches or a foot. But by means of a good subsoil-plough in 

 the common furrow, a depth of fifteen to eighteen inches may 

 be reached. Now, to work the manure down to that depth, 

 and make the whole one broad deep bed of rich soil, it must be 

 first spread on the surface evenly after the whole has been 

 well subsoiled, then harrow to break it fine, and mix it with 

 the top soil, and then thrown down by a thorough trench- 

 ploughing. For although the trench-ploughing can hardly be 



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