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Spring planting should be done from the early 

 part of April to the middle "of May ; in the latter 

 case the trees should have been lifted before 

 vegetation is too far advanced. But in no case 

 in heavy soils should the planting be done when 

 the ground is wet. It should be deferred till 

 the earth is dry enough to crumble round the 

 roots while planting, the trees being laid in by 

 the heels in the interim, and taken up and planted 

 as required. 



Great care should be taken that the roots from 

 the time the tree is taken up till planted, should 

 not be allowed to dry. It is the want of atten- 

 tion to this that causes such a large proportion 

 of the trees supplied by tree agents and pedlars, 

 or sold at auctions, to fail. If the small fibres 

 of the roots get dried and dead at any time be- 

 fore planting, the tree must send out new ones 

 before it can grow. In moist seasons the apple 

 may do so to some extent, but the peai cherry, 

 &c., never can. I have seen thousands oi bundles 

 of fruit-trees arriving by rail and boat, for dis- 

 tribution throughout the country, with the roots 

 so dried up, that it would not pay to plant them, 

 though got for nothing. Even where properly 

 packed with wet moss round the roots, and 

 seemingly in good condition when received, the 

 trees may have been seriously injured, if not de- 

 stroyed, before being so packed; it is, therefore, 

 of great importance to purchase trees from reli- 

 able nurserymen on whom dependence can be 

 placed. 



Before planting, broken and bruised roots and 

 branches should be cut smoothly off ; and where 

 the tree is young, requiring none but young 

 wood to be cut off, it can be pruned back as far 

 as you choose ; but where the tree is large, say 

 commencing to bear, nothing — except a part 

 of the last season's young wood — should be taken 

 off, till the tree has had one year's growth, after 

 which it may be pruned back as much as requir- 

 ed, as the wound will then heal over quickly, 

 which it would not do when large limbs are cut 

 off at the time of planting. The early spring, or 

 about midsummer, is the best time for pruning. 



While the tree is being planted, one man 

 should hold it, and shake it gently, while the 

 other is filling in the earth or compost, which 

 should be quite fine, so as to fill up all interstices 



amongst the roots. When the hole is about 

 three-fourths f.lled, a pail of water may be put 

 in to settle the earth bctte about the roots, but 

 this is only required in late spring planting ; fall 

 or early spnng planting, when the ground is suf- 

 ficiently moist, does not require it. No manure 

 should be put in the hole with the roots, unless 

 it be some old and well rotted, which might be 

 put in when the roots are fully covered ; but a 

 good mulching, two or three inches deep, of 

 fresh manure, put loosely on the surface around 

 tho tree as far as the roots extend, will be found 

 beneficial, after planting, at any season of the 

 year, while it is absolutely essential in late spring 

 planting. 



In general, watering the trees after plant- 

 ing, and during the summer, is injurious. If 

 the tree will not grow without being watered, 

 it will never be got to grow with it. ' ^ring 

 over the leaves and branches t.lightly, is very re- 

 fi-eshing in dry weather ; and during droughts, 

 when the tree is suffering, the earth should be 

 removed for a few inches from above the roots, 

 and a thorough watering be given, replacing 

 the dry earth and mulch again. This is most 

 beneficially done after a rain, which, though it 

 may have wet the surface of the ground, has 

 not been sufiicient to reach the roots. 



If the soil is light, or the orchard in an ex- 

 posed situation, it will be well to stake and tie 

 the trees securely as soon as planted to keep 

 them from blowing over ; but, as far as my ex- 

 perience goes with rather heavy soils, e-en in 

 exposed situations, I have never found it neces- 

 sary to stake the trees. 



For the first few years after planting the 

 orchard should be well cultivated with root 

 crops, cabbages, or other low-growing crops 

 that require manuring ; but in no case should the 

 orchard be sowed to grain of any kind, except 

 Indian corn, which may be planted with ad- 

 vantage. But whatever the crop a space of at 

 least six feet in diameter round each tree should 

 be left unplanted, to be regularly hoed during 

 the season to keep down the weeds. 



I will give additional particulars respecting 

 planting, culture, and pruning, and the distance 

 the trees should be set apart, in my other letters 

 on each kind of fruit. 



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