20 FRUIT FARMING 



heavily cropped trees, liquid manure proves very 

 advantageous, but it is difficult of application except 

 in orchards ; where however it can be arranged, it is 

 doubly beneficial, applied in a wet time in the winter. 

 In old. orchards, well fed pigs, or sheep and lambs fed 

 with oil cake upon the land, are a great stimulant to 

 free growth, and consequently good fruit. 



OLD ORCHARDS. After the trees have been cleared 

 of inside spray branches, the trees benefit greatly by 

 a winter dressing of manure round each tree ; but 

 this must be placed at least 3ft. from the stem, and 

 extend 6ft. further out in order to come in contact 

 with the feeding roots. The manure may be from the 

 stable yard, or, on light lands, Kainit ; on clay soils, 

 soot and guano. 



A great help towards success in raising young trees 

 is to impart all the vigour possible during the months 

 of May and June, thus securing strong wood to 

 become fully grown and ripened by the autumn. To 

 attain this end, manure should be applied not later 

 than December. It then has time to get thoroughly 

 into the soil, and is available for the young roots to 

 draw on when starting into spring growth; at the 

 same time, strong manure should not come in direct 

 contact with the roots, but filter to them through the 

 natural soil. 



Here we must add a word of caution to those who 

 have the opportunity of using a large quantity of 

 manure when starting a plantation. Having been 

 frequently called in to see trees which had started 

 exceedingly well, and then collapsed, we traced the 

 failure entirely to the too free use of stimulants, which, 

 acting on the roots, forced the tree into an over 



