398 Retna?'ks on Dwarjing Fruit Trees. 



bors, the question of depth, if argued to a nice point, might 

 lead to much useless controversy, for which the public has 

 neither time nor inclination, I may nevertheless be per- 

 mitted to quote my own practice, which I may without 

 egotism be permitted to say has been exceedingly success- 

 ful, extending over a course of many years. Twenty 

 inches, then, 1 consider the maximum depth at which our 

 fruits for dwarfing should be planted ; indeed I have peaches 

 and nectarines second to none, which have been planted a 

 dozen years or more ; these had only fifteen inches of loamy 

 soil allowed them. 



I would here respectfully point to a very common error 

 concerning depth of prepared soils for fruit trees. It is com- 

 mon with those who are well experienced in the diversity 

 that exists in soils, as well as in the prejudicial effects which 

 oozy or wet subsoils are liable to produce, to advise planting 

 above the ground level. I have known persons in such 

 cases still make the amount of soil below the level of the 

 same depth, whereby, if elevated considerably, the whole of 

 course constitutes a greater volume, and is a departure from 

 the principle laid down. The measurement should, of 

 course, take place from the apex of the mound, or at least 

 the height it is intended to attain ; in such cases it is well 

 to take the liberty of adding two or three more inches, un- 

 less water is present at a certain level, in order to prove a 

 counteracting power to the influence of extreme drought in 

 hot summer. 



From the question of more depth I must take the liberty 

 of adverting to that of quality. A soil may be deep, yet 

 poor ; it may be shallow, yet rich ; we must therefore learn 

 to separate these matters. In later times so much has been 

 said or written about the evil effects of introducing ma- 

 nures, — especially those of the animal kind, — into our fruit 

 borders, that it may at first, sight appear a work of superero- 

 gation to moot the question. It is plain, nevertheless, that 

 the public are not yet sufficiently informed on this head ; 

 and that even as " little strokes fell great oaks," so must 

 repeated observations, through the medium of the press, 



