30 TRANBPLAlfTING. 



do-wii in grass, let it never 'he cut, or if cut, left to decay on the 

 ground where it grew. A top dressing of Hme at the rate of 

 twenty bushels to the acre may be applied with benefit, especi- 

 ally about the time the trees eome into bearing, to be renewed 

 every three or four years. Ashes, leached or unleached, crashed 

 or ground bones, gypsum or plaster, chip manure from the old 

 wood pUe, horn shavings, wool waste, and occasionally a light 

 coating of well rotted barn-yard manure, will all be found benefi- 

 cial to the oi;chard, applying these in such quantities, and at such 

 intervals, as wiU keep the orchard in a healthy condition, but not 

 induce an excessive wood growth. After the trees have become 

 so large as to shade most of the ground, it vrill no longer be pro- 

 fitable to grow crops of any kind in the orchard. It may now be 

 seeded down to grass, wMch should not be removed from the 

 orchard, but suffered to remain and decay on the groimd. This 

 will serve as an excellent protection to the roots, and by its 

 decomposition enrich the soU. A dressing of ashes, bone dust 

 or plaster, should not be neglected ; it will be amply returned in 

 '.the increased beauty, size and quantity of fruit. ' ', 

 '■ To Protect the Trees yROM Mice, which are often very 

 destructive to young trees by gnawing off the bark at the surface 

 of the ground, and, when they become numerous, injure even bear- 

 ing trees, the trees may be painted with the following mixture, 

 which is recommended by Downing. Take one spadeful of hot 

 slaked lime, one of clean, fresh cow dung, half a spadeful of soot, 

 and a handful of flour of sulphur ; miir the whole together with 

 sufficient water to bring it to the consistence of thick paint. In 

 the autumn paint the trees with this mixture from the ground to 

 the highest snow line, choosing dry weather in which to apply 

 it. This is a perfectly safe application, and has been proved by 

 repeated trial to be entirely harmless to the tree. In those parts 

 of the country where the snow is seldom deep, it has been found 

 that a mound of earth raised around the tree to the height of a 

 foot or so, enough to be above the ordinary level of the snow, 

 will fuUy preserve the trees from their ravages, for they always 



