FRUIT TREES. Chap. I. 3 



Going from feast to famine, it will fall into decline & expire. 



So to set up a nursery let's choose good free soil, more dry than moist. If it' s 

 rocky, or just gravelly, it must be dug up during the summer to a depth of two feet & 

 sieved. If it's not rocky or gravelly, this procedure isn't necessary but it's still very 

 beneficial. 



If the soil needs to be reclaimed, this must be done with new soil of good quality 

 mixed in while trenching, and not with manure. Not only because in manure the only 

 roots that form are small, black, weak & in poor condition, but in addition the manure 

 attracts white worms that damage the roots & often kill the young trees. 



After this preparation, the ground is left to settle until mid-March or the beginning 

 of April, or at minimum until November. (Some gardeners recommend letting it settle for 

 a year.) Before filling it with young plants or seeds, it's tilled lightly to get rid of weeds. 

 Unless the soil is really bad, which I doubt, by doing what we've said you can count on 

 the trees growing up well there and then succeeding in all soils where they are to be 

 transplanted. 



article 11. On Seed Planting. 



I. ALMONDS intended for planting should be germinated during winter so that they 

 emerge from the ground early in the spring & run less risk of being eaten by field mice, 

 magpies, crows, jays, &c. 



Some poke the almonds into the ground, pointed end down, one right next to the 

 other. They don't put any soil on top of them at all. 



