IMPORTANT DETAILS 43 
At the point where the peg for the tree stood, dig a hole 
2 feet across, putting the top spit of soil on one side by 
itself, and break up the earth in the bottom of the hole. 
Then, and not until then, take your tree out of the ground 
where it has been heeled in. Hold it up in your left 
hand, and with a pair of secateurs, or pruning shears, 
prune the roots, cutting away all broken or injured fibres, 
and shortening back those which are excessively long. 
Cut at a slant, and in such a direction that, when the tree 
stands upright in the hole, the cut surfaces will all lie flat 
on the earth. Place the tree in the hole, spread out the 
roots well all round, and see that none are doubled up or 
lying across the others—both these points are important 
—and gently shake in some of the top spit after breaking 
it up fine. Work this well in amongst the roots. Cover 
the roots to the depth of 3 inches or so. Joggle the tree 
gently up and down, and then tread the soil firmly round 
it, taking care not to break or injure any of the roots. 
Fill up the hole with soil, and tread firmly again. When 
you have finished, the little tree should be about 4 inches 
deeper in the ground than it was when it stood in the 
nursery row. This isto allow of the soil settling. Finally, 
if you are planting in the spring, cut off the top of the 
young tree at a distance of 18 inches to 2 feet from the 
ground level, cutting in a slanting direction up to a good 
fat bud, so as to leave the bud at the highest tip of the 
young tree. If you are planting in the autumn or fall, 
leave this cutting until the following spring. 
Do not give the young tree any manure of any kind 
unless you are planting in ground which has not been 
properly broken and properly prepared. In the latter 
case sprinkle a little—say a tablespoonful, not more—ot 
