THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



817 



inches, and to prevent its being blown about, cover it with a 

 little mould. This nourishes the young roots, by preventing 

 the drought from penetrating to their injury. It is also of 

 consequence to cover the ground round the roots with long 

 littery dung or fern, in order to prevent the frost from reaching 

 the roots, during the first winter after planting, that is, if they 

 have been planted in autumn ; after the first year this need not 

 be done. In planting all sorts of trees, particularly fruit-trees, 

 great care should be taken not to plant them at too great a 

 depth. In good soils it is injurious to them, as it buries their 

 roots so deep, as to be beyond the reach of the rays of heat, 

 and induces them to go deeper for that nourishment which 

 they can only find near the surface. Almost all roots are dis- 

 posed to run to a certain degree horizontally, and if planted 

 too deep, they can never approach near enough the surface, 

 where their nourishment is prepared for them. In bad soils, 

 it is better to plant upon the surface, or nearly so, and gather 

 the mould round into a hill, which, by being increased as thf 

 tree advances in gi'owth, will materially promote its welfare, by 

 supplying it with fresh nourishment as the roots diverge from 

 the centre. In planting extensive orchards, there can be no 

 objection to cultivating the ground between the rows of trees ; 

 care being taken, for the first years of their growth, that no 

 injury be done them by the plough or spade. Such crops as 

 potatoes and turnips will rather benefit the trees than other- 

 wise ; for the operation of preparing the ground for such crops 

 will ameliorate the soil, and tend to improve the trees: the 

 trees should not be planted promiscuously, those of high lofty 

 habits should be planted upon the elevated spots, or be planted 

 by themselves to form a sort of back ground, and the less 

 lofty sorts in the middle, while the lowest of all should oc- 

 cupy the front. 



The trees when planted in this manner will have a fine eflfect 

 when grown up ; but if they be planted promiscuously, they 

 will not appear so agreeable to the eye, independently of 

 which the smaller trees will be shaded by the larger ones, 

 which will not only injure them, but spoil the flavor of the 

 fruit. The trees, where cattle are allowed to pasture, should 

 be protected from their browsing, or rubbing against their 



