DWYER'S GUIDE. 9 



of fine manure may be put in the hole after the roots are well covered with the 

 soil; then the hole can be filled level with the surface of the ground. In 

 the absence of stable manure you can use to good advantage five pounds 

 ol' unleached wood ashes to each tree, applying one-half of it on the soil 

 directly after the roots are covered and the other half on the surface 

 of the ground around the tree. In case you cannot get stable manure 

 or wood ashes you can use any of the complete makes of commercial 

 fertilizers, such as Mapes' Fruit and Vine Manure which we have used 

 for many years with good success. These manures can be used after- 

 wards in large quantities according to the development and requirements 

 of the trees. All roots of the trees that may have been mutilated with 

 the spade or tree digger, should be made smooth with a sharp knife. Tbis 

 work is very important, and should not be neglected. After the trees are 

 planted they should be properly and severely pruned back removing fully 

 two-thirds of the wood and leader. In cutting off these branches look for 

 a bud on the outside of the limb and cut back directly above this bud. 

 We need hardly state that this pruning back at the time of planting is 

 one of the most necessary and important requirements, and failure to at- 

 tend to this small detail has been, the direct and only cause for the loss 

 of very many trees. 



WHEN TO PLANT. 



Plant your trees in the Spring as early as possible — the earlier the 

 better after you can get your ground in proper condition for tilling or 

 preparing the soil. You cannot do this work too early, but can easily 

 defer it until it is too late for best results. You can plant any time du;'- 

 ing the months of March and April, and even along in the month of May 

 when the season is late and the stock in dormant condition. Trees may 

 also be planted to good advantage during the Fall months, any time from 

 October 15th until the ground freezes is a good time for this work. For 

 several years past Fall planting has been practiced quite generally. The 

 writer has been one of its strongest advocates, and has recommended it; 

 in fact, has planted the greater percentage of his oiwn trees at this sea- 

 son of the year, and always with satisfactory results. We do not wish 

 to say that in all cases Fall is a better time to plant than the Spring, but 

 it is just as good a time when other conditions are equal. We do say. 

 however, that in the majority of cases which have come under our obser- 

 vation, that the Fall is positively the best time. We know from many 

 years' experience that the tiller of the soil has more time at this season 

 to prepare his ground and do his planting than in the Spring, consequent- 

 ly the work will be better done. Your planting of trees should not be 

 postponed a single day; delays along these lines are dangerous. Our 

 advice is to always plant at the earliest possible moment. When trees 

 are planted in the Fall it is always advisable and beneficial to "mound 

 up" the soil about the body of the tree. This "bank of soil" should be 

 twelve inches high, and will prevent the young trees from swaying back- 

 wards and forwards during the winter months, besides it will serve as 

 a partial protection from the barking of the trees by field mice and 

 other rodents. This is much better and less expensive than the old prac- 

 tice of staking the trees. This mound of soil must, of course, be leveled 

 down in the spring and need not be repeated after the trees have made 

 a season's growth and the roots have taken hold of the soil. 



CULTIVATION. 



We wish we were able to show clearly and plainly in this little work 

 the absolute necessity of doing this important task at the right time and 



