THE APPLE. 



59 



ceeding, if cool sheds are available the trees 

 should be placed in them, and the roots covered 

 with damp mats or soil. For late spring plant- 

 ing in dry weather it is advisable to dip the 

 roots of the trees in water as soon as they are 

 received, and if they appear to have been much 

 dried this can be repeated before planting. 



Planting. — In the operation of planting Apple- 

 trees one of the most important conditions is 

 the state of the soil at the time, and particularly 

 on heavy land. If the holes are made in ad- 

 hesive soil when wet, the sides will often dry 

 into a brick-like consistency almost impervious 

 to roots and water. Thus moisture is excluded 

 in dry weather, and in wet times it cannot pass 

 away freely, as the base of the hole will pro- 

 bably be in a similar puddled state. Trees 

 planted in this way often show the ill effects 

 for years. 



The soil must in all cases be broken down 

 into a moderately fine state, and the more 

 numerous the roots of the trees to be planted, 

 the more important this is. In rough soil care- 

 lessly filled in a large proportion of the roots 

 are for a time inoperative, and some are per- 

 manently injured. It is impossible to plant 

 trees satisfactorily where the soil is in coarse 

 clod-like lumps. 



The size of the hole must be proportionate 

 to the extent of the roots, but it is well to 

 allow at least 6 inches more than the spread 

 of the roots, as they can be regulated more 

 thoroughly. The depth also will depend upon 

 the roots, as Apples on Crab or free stocks, 

 which produce strong downward roots, must 

 have a greater depth than those of the surface- 

 rooting Paradise stocks. In the former case 

 the advice usually given, to " spread the roots ", 

 is often quite impracticable, as with three- or 

 four -year-old trees these are as strong and in- 

 flexible as the main branches, and all that can 

 be done is to carefully fill in the soil amongst 

 them. Such trees may need holes 1 to 1J feet 

 deep, while the more horizontal -rooted dwarf- 

 ing stocks may require only 9 to 12 inches. 



These directions will need modification by 

 the nature of the soil and the moisture present. 

 For instance, it is not only safe to plant deeper 

 in light soils than in heavy ones, but it is some- 

 times a preferable course if there is no danger 

 of getting into an unsuitable subsoil, as the 

 roots are less likely to suffer from drought 

 than when near the surface. In very dry soils 

 and climates deep rooting should be encouraged 

 for this reason, whereas in heavy soils shallow 

 planting is advantageous. The often repeated 



direction to plant Apples or other trees at the 

 same depth as they have been in the nursery 

 is usually a safe course to follow. 



Planting on the surface and mounding up 

 the roots is advocated and practised in wet 

 situations and in extremely heavy soils, but 

 Apples should only be planted under such con- 

 ditions in very exceptional circumstances. It 

 would be unwise to attempt to form a commer- 

 cial plantation in that way. A thorough system 

 of tile-draining would be a preferable proceed- 

 ing, or, if the situation is too low for this, 

 superficial draining may be attempted by means 

 of shallow trenches running across the ground. 



The Apple-trees intended for planting should 

 be carefully examined, and all damaged roots 

 cut clean at the points with a sharp knife, 

 either straight across, or with a slight slope on 

 the upper side, the former being better for all 

 downward roots, and the latter for the hori- 

 zontal roots. If any branches start too low 

 down the stem they can also be more readily 

 removed before the tree is planted. 



If the stakes are in position and the holes 

 prepared as directed, it is only necessary to 

 place the trees to the stakes at the required 

 depth, spread out the roots as evenly as possible 

 in all directions, and fill in the soil. The latter 

 part of the operation should be done gradually 

 and with care; some workmen throw large 

 spadefuls of soil on, or roll it in from the sides, 

 as if the only object was to conceal the roots 

 as quickly as possible. The work is never done 

 satisfactorily in this way. Small quantities of 

 the finer soil should be placed over the roots 

 first and worked in among them with a stick if 

 necessary; after this the remainder can be com- 

 pleted with more speed. Where stout roots 

 start from near the base of the stem in a down- 

 ward direction it often leaves a hollow that 

 should be provided for by making a slight 

 mound for the base of the tree to rest upon, 

 otherwise it is often difficult to fill in properly 

 afterwards. With the exception already re- 

 ferred to, the roots should be arranged as near 

 the surface as seems safe, and with a slight 

 upward rather than a downward bearing at the 

 points. It is advisable to go over the planta- 

 tion several times in the season after planting 

 for the purpose of treading the soil firmly about 

 the roots. In light soil, if the weather be very 

 dry at the time of planting, a thorough watering 

 will help to settle the soil. On heavy soils 

 treading over the roots requires more care, or, 

 if wet, it will be forced into a solid mass that 

 can never be restored to its former condition 



