244 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
How to plant the stock.—Plow the land and fit it 
well. As all fruit grounds should be put into eulti- 
vated crops for the first two years, at least, it will 
‘generally be found advisable to plow the entire area 
before the place is set, rather than to plow strips 
where the trees or plants are to go, for the land 
ean then be shaped better with reference to surface 
drainage and general convenience. 
Trees should be set neither in dead-furrows nor 
on back-furrows. Level culture should generally be 
adopted from the start, unless it is known to be 
necessary to displace surface water; and in that case 
it may be questioned if the land is fit for fruit 
plants. In all ordinary soils, holes must be dug 
by hand for the tree fruits. Plowing out a deep 
furrow in the line of the rows may lessen the dig- 
ging and aid in getting the trees in line. The hole 
should be dug broad and ample; and the harder 
the soil the larger ought the hole to be, for in 
that case the loose dirt which is filled in must give 
the tree its start. In loose and deep soils, the 
hole need be no larger than the spread of the 
roots. Chop up the soil in the bottom of the hole, 
or throw in a few shovelfuls of loose surface earth. 
Trees should be set an inch or two deeper than 
they stood in the nursery, for the loose earth will 
settle and wash away in the course of the season, 
even if it is well packed when the trees are set. 
Dwarf pears should be set from three to six inches 
below the bud. The roots are trimmed, as_ ex- 
plained further on. Every care must be exercised 
