256 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 



together. Protect the stem from rabbits, if necessary, with i-inch mesh gal- 

 vanised wire-netting, or by means of thorny branches placed around. 



Soil. — As a rule, ordinary garden soil is rich enough for all fruit trees, but 

 in orchards, or grass land, or in poor soils, they must be 

 fed with manures. An excellent plan is to place half- 

 rotted manure on the ground surface, above the roots, after 

 planting. When manure is mixed with the soil in the 

 hole, it decays, and is liable to do harm to the roots ; it 

 also causes the soil to become friable and loose, and the 

 roots of all fruit trees like a firm soil. 



Deferred Planting. — During the planting season it 

 often happens that frosts are experienced, and the work has 

 to be deferred. The trees should be laid in the ground, 

 the roots being well covered with soil, until planting can 

 be resumed. The trees should never be laid in thickly, 

 for instances have occurred where field mice and rats have 

 nibbled off the bark. 



Wall Trees. — Where wall trees are planted, the soil 

 may have become exhausted or very dry by the demands 

 made upon it by previous trees. In such cases well-rotted 

 manure and good loam should be used to plant in. If the 

 soil is very dry water the trees well when planted. 



Trees on Grass Land. — The turf removed when holes 

 were made for fruit trees should be chopped up and used for 

 planting. Keep the surface soil loose, friable, and free 

 from weeds for the first four years, otherwise the land may 

 crack. Weeds rob the soil of nourishment, hinder the progress 

 of the surface roots, and prevent the tree making a good start. 

 The method of planting strawberries, raspberries, and 

 currants is treated of in the chapters devoted to these fruits. 



PRUNING NEWLY PLANTED TREES 



A Maiden, or One- 



Year-Old Apple 



Tree 



Experts differ as to the advisability of pruning the first 

 '''ms'erfng'^bud'"'(°[ °'^ ^^^ second year after planting. Roughly speaking, trees 



point of cutting off that are carefully planted before Christmas may be pruned 



snag of stock ; 

 shoot from bud ; 

 point of cutting 

 back, about i foot 

 from ground, or at 

 the height desired, 

 but always to good 

 buds on well matured 

 wood. 



in the month of February in gardens, but orchard trees 

 should be allowed a summer's growth before they are cut 

 back. Thousands of trees are ruined by over-pruning the 

 first year ; they form weakly growth and fruit-spurs, instead 

 of that vigorous growth which lays the foundation of a 

 finely developed tree. Supposing the orchard trees have 

 had a summer's growth, the pruner first cuts out all misplaced 

 shoots and shortens the rest back to within 9 inches of the old growth or the 

 stem, taking care that the end (or terminal) buds point outwards. After this 

 from 9 to 12 inches of new growth is left annually ; the desired basin-shaped 



