HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 35$ 



which it serves as a dressing, and forking it in, together with the pips ifc 

 contains. 



When the'young plants are some one or two inches high, the weakest are 

 thinned out, if possible, in the evening before rain ; but failing that, the 

 ground should be watered, in order to consolidate it about the roots. 



The culture, during the growing season, consists in weeding and frequent 

 Stirring of the ground, in order to keep it loose. 



When the plants are one year old they are chosen for the training nur- 

 sery ; for Apple trees selected at that age are preferred to older ones. 



Transplantation and Choice of the Plants, In order to obtain the plants- 

 with all, or nearly all, their roots, an open trench must be made. The 

 strongest should not be pulled up by the hand, as is frequently the case, 

 because a part of the roots would be broken and left in the earth. In gen- 

 eral the plants should not be taken up until we are ready to plant. 



At the same age, the stoutest plant, not the tallest, is the best, that is, 

 one which has the best roots and that has had the most air and light in the 

 nursery, because not having been crowded and drawn up by its neighbours, 

 such plants have thicker and stronger steins, their roots are also more nu- 

 merous and spreading. This shows us that it is hazardous to sow too thick- 

 ly, as the plants produced would be slender and uprovided with lateral roots. 

 The Training Nursery. — Time of planting, preparati&n of the roots, 

 — Distance between the plants. — In light soils, as well as in those of moder- 

 ate tenacity, planting should be performed immediately after the leaves have 

 fallen in November, or the beginning of December ; but in argillaceous soils 

 which' require to undergo the ameliorating effects of frost and' thaW, it is con- 

 sidered preferable to plant in February or March, as the excess of wet in 

 winter might prove injurious to the roots. - 



The' preparation or dressing of the roots consists in sh6rtening them a 

 little, and also in taking off the extremity of the tap root, if there is one. 



The distance between the plants should be the same every way ; but the 

 necessity of turning the soil to account, and maintaining an easy access be- 

 tween the rows, as well for air and light as for the workmen, generally causes 

 more space to be left between the rows than between the plants in the row. 

 As the rearing of Apple trees, till fit for planting out, usually occupies 

 from eight to nine years, forty inches between the rows and from twenty to 

 twenty-four inches between the plants in the rows, appear to be sufficient. 

 By this arrangement, air and light penetrate much more easily along than 

 across the rows. In determining the direction of the rows', the nature of 

 soil should also be considered. In light soils, where it is requisite tha^t the 

 trees should protect each other from drought and from the heat of the sun, 

 the direction of the rows should be from east to West ; whilst in wet cold soils, 

 the rows should run from north to south, in order that the noon-day sun 

 may penetrate between them and warm the ground. 



Mode of Planting. — Having traced the direction of the rows, we proceed 

 to plant either with the spade or dibber. Planting with the dibber is only 

 suited to plants having tap-roots. The spade is in every respect preferable; 

 it allows us to lay the roots in their natural position, and to cover them with 

 the finest of the earth. 



Unless the stem is very tall and slender, it is never shortened the same 

 year that the transplantation takes place. In this case, the third of the 



