THE PLANTING OF FRUIT TREES 



Novices in fruit-growing are advised to write to the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, Victoria Street, London, 

 enclosing a penny stamp, in return for which they will 

 receive a copy of an excellent little pamphlet entitled 

 " Fruits for Cottagers." Here we can but epitomise a 

 few of the more important rules to be observed in the 

 planting of fruit trees. The soil should be dug to a 

 depth of at least two feet ; the bottom soil, however, 

 should not be brought to the surface. A little garden 

 soil, which has been well manured for a previous crop, 

 may well be incorporated with the top six inches. No 

 manure should be added at the time of planting. If 

 the roots of the young plants are in any way torn or 

 jagged, the torn portions should be cut off cleanly with 

 a sharp knife. A hole should be ready to receive the 

 tree of at least three feet in diameter, and of such a 

 depth that the highest roots will be about three inches 

 below the surface when the planting is finished. First 

 spread out the lowest roots carefully, and scatter a little 

 fine earth over them ; then spread out the roots next 

 above these, and add more fine soil ; then those above 

 these, and so on, giving a little shake now and then to 

 let the soil run in between the fine roots. When all 

 the roots are spread out and covered, give the tree a 

 good shake, add a little more soil, and then tread it in 

 firmly. Fill up the hole two or three inches above the 

 level of the surrounding hole. Put a strong stake to 

 the tree, and fasten the two together with a broad band 

 in such a way as to make it impossible for the tree to be 

 chafed when the wind blows. In the case of heavy soil 



