838 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Jan, 



be proper to plant in the time of gentle showers immediately 

 after heavy rains, or as soon as the snow has disappeared. 



At all times, in preparing the pits for plants, they should be 

 made large, whether the ground has been trenched or not, 

 with the view of admitting the fibres and roots of the plants to 

 be spread out to their full length. Much of the success of plant- 

 ing depends on the spreading out of the roots of the plants in 

 a regular manner, and covering them equally with fine earth, 

 which, if the natural soil be not particularly good, where the 

 trees planted are large or valuable, it will be well to procure 

 some fine mould in which to plant them ; or, if the soil be 

 good, some pains should be bestowed to break the mould 

 fine with the spade, and to dispose of it in a regular manner 

 over the roots of the plant; and as the mould is regularly 

 filled in, the plant should be pulled gently up and down, or 

 if large, shaken a little, so as to admit of the mould filling 

 up all the spaces between the roots. The mould should also 

 be gently trodden round it with the foot, and the plant set 

 upright, unless when planting to attain certain purposes, 

 when it may be necessary that some of the trees should not 

 stand perpendicularly. 



If the plants be large, they should be carefully supported 

 as they are planted with stakes, to prevent them being blown 

 about by the wind. For want of this precaution many plant* 

 are lost, for nothing is more injurious to them than being 

 beaten about and loosened at their roots by the wind. It 

 lacerates and breaks the roots ; and the friction of the stem 

 on the surrounding mould forms an opening, which will admit 

 either frost or drought to the roots, both of which are ex- 

 tremely injurious to newly-planted trees. 



Newly-planted trees of all sizes, even those that are small, 

 should be gone over occasionally after planting, and those 

 placed upright which may have fallen to a side, and the ground 

 round their roots trodden, and all cracks filled up, so as to 

 prevent the access of drought. 



Mulching trees has its advantages, and should be more ge- 

 nerally attended to than appears to be the case. By mulching 

 is to be understood a laying on of a covering of littery dung, 

 saw-dust, or any other refuse matter capable of resisting the 



