56 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Socieiij. 



then placed in a conical form, from the extremity of the circle to the stern! 

 of the tree. The place was then covered over with a little half-rotten dung, 

 and this last covered with the earth first thrown out of the circle. About 

 2 ft. on each side of the stem the earth was flattened, and left in this state; 

 The stem of the tree v/as then made fast to the stake with a hayband. If 

 any of the large roots happen to be broken near the stem, before or during 

 the operation of planting, as the new fibres of such roots are apt to force 

 their way downwards, I always mark such trees, for the purpose of lifting 

 and replacing after about four years' standing, in order to give the fibres of 

 the broken root a horizontal direction, if found necessary." 



The liability of the trees to have their roots broken during 

 planting induced Mr. Reid to train the roots of a number of 

 young trees, by spreading them out in the manner above de- 

 scribed in a plot prepared for the purpose, and at the end of 

 three years transplanting them as directed. The trees so 

 trained " were removed to their new situations on a hand- 

 barf ow, the fibres retaining a great quantity of the soil when 

 lifted." Twelve feet square formed the space allowed to each 

 tree ; the soil was kept clear of weeds by the Dutch hoe, but 

 no vegetables were at any time cultivated on it. A top- 

 dressing of rich compost was given once every three or four 

 years. If the groinid is ever dug for cropping, Mr. Reid is 

 clearly of opinion that the plan will not succeed ; though he 

 thinks gooseberry bushes might be planted among the trees, 

 and that they would bear and do well, at least for a time, 

 without the ground being dug. He is " of opinion that break- 

 ing the surface, by hoeing and raking in dry weather, pro- 

 motes the health of the tree, as well as the flavour and timely 

 ripening of the fruit." For raking he uses a wooden rake, as 

 not being apt to tear up the young roots. The trees so planted 

 in 1815 and 1818, were found in ]824< to be " much more 

 fruitful." 



Trees so planted will, of course, not last so long as those 

 which are allowed full liberty to penetrate deeper into a suit-^ 

 able soil ; but Mr. Reid justly observes, that this disadvan- 

 tage must be submitted to. His conclusion from the experi- 

 ment is, that, " although canker is produced from various 

 causes, the principal cause is deep planting in any soil, as that 

 method is generally attended with the production of unripe 

 wood. 



" In a dry subsoil, the tree being deprived of nourishment, 

 both from poverty of soil and want of moisture during the 

 summer, vegetation often becomes stationary, and, towards 

 autumn, sometimes is succeeded by a new growth of wood, 

 liable to the same disease as the former." 



In order to prove the beneficial influence of surface plant- 

 ing, Mr. Reid grafted a great number of the branches of the 

 young trees with scions taken from the branches of the most 



