36* 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Mar, 



soil be pretty good, only add a part of new to the old soil. If 

 circumstances will admit, in replanting, remove the trees a 

 little out of the spot on which they formerly grew, or if con- 

 venient, take them to a greater distance. Let them be care- 

 fully planted, as already recommended for planting fruit-trees, 

 and a plentiful supply of water given ; then, while the process 

 of filling in the mould is going on, and after all is finished, 

 give some water to settle the mould about the whole. At most 

 seasons of planting, a plentiful supply of water should be 

 given, indeed so as to form the whole mould into a thick sort 

 of puddle. In light soils, this is of the greatest importance 

 to the future gi'owth of the trees, and more so in planting old 

 trees than young ones. During the early summer months, 

 water should be copiously given, not only at their roots, but 

 over their heads. Some rotten dung, or littery matter, may be 

 placed round their stems, to prevent the air and drought from 

 penetrating to their roots ; and the stems should be enveloped 

 with old mats, or moss tied round them, and, during the 

 ascent of the sap, kept moist by pouring water occasionally 

 upon them. Under such treatment, fine healthy trees may again 

 be made of those which were both diseased and barren. The 

 training of the new shoots thus produced differs in no respect 

 from that of young trees of the same sorts. Much has been 

 lately said in regard to producing a state of fruitfulness in barren 

 and unblossoming trees, and various plans have been tried with 

 different degrees of success. Almost every description of fruit- 

 tree will come into bearing in regular course, according to its 

 nature, if planted in a proj)er soil, and one that is not too 

 deep, provided the roots do not penetrate into a bad sub-soil, 

 and produce canker, and finally death. A shallow soil is more 

 likely to produce fruitful trees sooner than a deep one, and 

 therefore care ought to be taken in planting, to prevent their 

 roots penetrating too deeply. If they penetrate into a canker- 

 ing gravel, they soon get into a diseased state, and no fruit can 

 therefore be expected from them. And if they get too deep in 

 a soil that is really good, they, by some means, not always 

 obvious, acquire the power of throwing muoli superfluous sap 

 into the tree, which spends itself in leaves and branches in- 

 stead of blossoms. To correct this superabundance of sap. 



