FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD, 73 



to forward the intended purpose by the best means. 

 I do not hesitate to say that many trees, and indeed 

 sometimes whole plantations of fruit, are often total- 

 ly spoiled by improper treatment when young. By 

 due observation it will be seen, that trees have a 

 great resemblance to animals in their infant state, 

 namely, in requiring proper nourishment to expand 

 their proper functions, in order to form a strong, 

 healthy subject at a future period. And secondly, 

 the planter will recollect that his object is to culti- 

 vate such fruits only as are of a good quality, 

 which have mostly been obtained by a high state of 

 cultivation, and can only be obtained in a healthy 

 state by the best of culture. 



Before I enter on the planting of fruit trees, it 

 will be proper to say a few words on the selection 

 of the trees, which I consider very essential, as 

 those that are in a diseased or cankery state when 

 young, seldom grow and form into strong, healthy 

 trees. 



In the selection of trees the first thing to be at- 

 tended to is to examine them well and choose those 

 which have a clean, straight stem, and without any 

 canker, wound, or other defect. The top should be 

 of a regular expansion, and the branches equally 

 dividing themselves so that an equilibrium is pre- 

 served from the crown of the stem in every part to 

 the top of the tree. The roots should be regular 

 and have a quantity of small fibres at the ex- 

 tremity of the leaders. And here let me remind the 

 reader that every care in taking up the tree should 

 be used, that those are not cut off, for the loss of 

 them will greatly retard the growth of the tree the 

 first year, as it will in such cases have to make 



