on planting Fruit Trees, 61 



be completed in the spring. I prefer ploughing the land as 

 deep as it is practicable so to do, to the practice of digging 

 out holes or pits, for reasons that I think will appear satisfac- 

 tory to every one. First, the roots will have a greater range 

 of ground to extend themselves iti search of food and nutri- 

 ment, which is indispensably necessary for their well doing. 

 In three or four years the trees will speak for themselves, for 

 they are great tale tellers if they do not receive due attention. 

 Secondly, the ground between the trees will amply pay for 

 the manuring, by cropping it with vegetables, three or four 

 years after which period it may be laid down to grass. 



But if planting in holes be deemed the most convenient 

 method to pursue, be sure to have them opened more than 

 twice as large as the roots of the trees will require at the time 

 of planting; for the making of a small hole, and crowding the 

 roots therein, and then stamping them down with your feet, is 

 a sorry piece of work, and cannot be too much deprecated. 

 If the fertile soil, in hole planting, be not more than a foot 

 deep, take out at least six inches of the under strata, and re- 

 place it with the broken sods, well mixed with the best sur- 

 face soil you have at hand, for it will be of much greater ben- 

 efit to the tree at the bottom of the hole, than at the top. 



Taking up the trees, for the purpose of replanting, is a part 

 of the operation that needs great care and attention, in order to 

 remove them without mutilating or breaking the roots. I have 

 never seen a tree yet that I thought had too many roots, but, 

 on the contrary, I have been frequently an eye-witness of 

 those which have been divested of them by careless removal. 

 A good method to be observed in digging up trees is, to begin 

 at a proper distance from the stem, and take away the earth 

 on one side first, and undermine the roots as much as possible; 

 then go to the other side, and take off the surface soil care- 

 fully, so that it can be ascertained how (he roots are situated, 

 and with a little more exertion, it will be found that the tree 

 may be easily taken out, on the side you first began your op- 

 erations upon. 



I now come to the final planting of the trees, supposing 

 the ground to be in the best possible state for their reception. 

 If they are to be brought from a distance, care must be taken 

 to secure the roots from the sun and drying tvinds, which 

 would have an injurious effect upon them; neither should the 

 roots be allowed to be uncovered on the ground at the time of 



