114 



ORCHARDS. 



serving, and are best cultivated as standards. The 

 wild crabs of our woods and hedges are used by 

 nurserymen for apple stocks ; and from their fruit 

 is made that useful liquid, verjuice. 



^pple Orchards, 



The foregoing account of our best apples, the 

 author conceives, would be very imperfect, unless 

 he also adds a few of his ideas concerning orchards, 

 and the manner of planting them. Notwithstanding 

 he has already alluded to this matter in the intro- 

 ductory remarks, and occasionally in the catalogue, 

 he thinks a repetition of the principal directions will 

 not be considered superfluous, as an appendix to the 

 section on the apple. 



It has already been observed, that the situation of 

 an orchard should neither be on the top of a hill, nor 

 in the lowest part of a valley. For this rule the 

 reasons are obvious, and have been already stated. 

 The best aspect, and the best soil, have also been 

 described ; together with the necessary depth of 

 surface soil, and the great care required in keeping 

 the roots of the young trees as near the surface as 

 possible. It only remains to add in this place, the 

 best distances at which the trees should be planted, 

 with the manner of planting, protecting, and pruning 

 the trees after they are planted. 



Old pasture land is better for fruit trees, than that 

 which has been long under the plough, merely because 

 it. is less exhausted, and consequently contains more 

 of that decomposed vegetable and animal matter. 



