SECT. VIII. 



OF PLANTING. 



£. The ACT of planting. Tree3 taken up for 

 planting mould be dug carefully, with (as much as pof- 

 fible) their full roots. Many a good tree has failed 

 merely by being taken up badly, and then planted fo. 

 The roots of fruit-trees are often not only mangled, 

 and too few, but are alfo pat into the ground without 

 any drefling or care. 



The lefs roots are expofed to the mr the better, and 

 the fooner trees are planted after being taken up, the 

 more likely they are to fucceed well. Trees properly 

 packed (i.e. the roots well covered) may live out of 

 ground ten days or a fortnight, in autumn, or early in 

 the fpring; but nothing except mcejjity will juftify the 

 keeping a tree out of ground a day longer than can be 

 heiped, for the fine roots dry off apace. 



If it be determined for any length of time before hand, 

 when and where to plant, the opening the ground, and 

 expofing the holes to the fun and air, (and if it may be 

 to frofi alfo) will both correft crudities in the foil, and 

 enrich it from the various flares of the atmofphere ; 

 this opening mould be as wide and deep as convenient, 

 that the benefits of the air may be extended. 



Some people do the w$rk of planting very idly, as if 

 it were fufficient to fee that a tree has a root, and that 

 it was only neceffary to hide it in the ground. Every 

 one who plants trees fliould ftand by himfelf, or have 

 fome truity perlbn to fee the work done, or the necef- 

 fary labour may not be bellowed. It is frequently the 

 way (for inftance) to dig a hole m bigger than will 

 receive the roots of a tree twilled and forced in ; but 

 being thus cramped, and the veffels of their roots dif- 

 torted and broke, it cannot ba expefted that fuch itnna* 

 rural treatment fhould anfwer* 



But the above vkknce is not ail j, the roots are con- 

 fined as in a prifon, (in a tub or a Won) which, if the 

 foil is itrong, detains wet, and chilla and -cankers, if 

 not rots the fibres, To plant wallj the rmn a! a tree 

 iiould have liberty to ftrike out freely every way, 



