28 FRUIT FARMING 



Care of Trees received in frost. Should any trees 

 ordered come to hand during frost or snow, they may 

 (without unpacking-) be placed in a warm cellar or 

 frost-proof house till the return of suitable weather 

 for planting, and will then take no harm. Trees 

 should not be allowed to have their roots dried by 

 the wind or sun during the planting. In planting, 

 the small fibres should be well spread out, and the 

 coarse roots be slightly shortened with a sharp knife, 

 and any roots injured in lifting should be cut away, 

 by holding the root in the left hand, and making a 

 clean cut from the underside. In rich soil, no manure 

 need be put in contact with the roots at planting 

 time, but a thin mulching on the surface (about 3~ft. 

 circle round the stem) will be very beneficial if applied 

 at planting time or in the spring. The root fibres 

 should be well enveloped in fine soil, and the tree be 

 staked at once for standard orchard trees. The soil 

 should be made quite firm in planting, but the 

 surface should be of loose soil. Two upright stakes 

 are preferable to a single one, or three may be placed 

 at an angle. These stakes should be of ash, chestnut, 

 oak, or bamboo. Never plant trees deeply, it is safer 

 to err at the other extreme. If the soil is wet, plant 

 on the surface, and make a mound over the roots of 

 the tree. Should the soil be poor; some well decayed 

 manure should be mixed with it at planting time. 



To save expense, fruit trees are frequently planted 

 in holes, which of course is the only plan on grass, 

 but the cultivator would be amply repaid by having all 

 land intended for plantations either steam cultivated 

 or trenched. In the case of holes dug in a wet soil, 

 they become so many traps for the water ; and if the 



