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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



me. There was no clay to be had, and in lieu thereof in all future 

 plantings the soil, after deep trenching, was extra firmly com- 

 pressed, the only added ingredient being a few half-inch bones. 



For trees on the Pear stock the soil cannot well be too light, 

 nor too deep, and I was going to say, nor too poor, but I won't 

 put it as strong as that, because they must have some nourish- 

 ment to feed on. Their natural tendency is to strike deep 

 down, and if too much inducement is afforded them by manur- 

 ing the soil at great depth, vigour of tree will be had at the 

 expense of shy fruiting. I prefer the rather to feed them from 

 the surface ; but of this more anon. I end the question of soils 

 and their preparation by saying, If possible procure good heavy 

 loam for the one ; if not, compress the light soil firmly, and feed 

 liberally from the surface ; well drain, trench deeply, and add a 

 small percentage of well-decayed manure and crushed bones to 

 light hungry soils for trees on the Pear stock. 



Planting, and Season to Plant. — To plant a tree means much 

 ,more than a large minority of gardeners seem to imagine. I 

 have, and no doubt you have, seen many good trees irretrievably 

 injured by thoughtless, careless planting. I sometimes think 

 the advice that the Scotch nobleman who was fond of trees 

 gave to his son in the words, " Be aye sticking in a tree, Jock ! " 

 applies right well to the manner of planting that one is some- 

 times obliged to witness, for truly it is " sticking in " — there is 

 no planting about it. The old tree is done for, trench out the 

 stump, put a new tree in its place, and — eh, presto ! the work 

 is done. This is not an overdrawn picture. I have witnessed 

 it, and at some cost of self-control held my tongue. Happily 

 better days have dawned on us, and we are fast nearing the 

 point of impossibility for planting to be done in any such slip- 

 shod fashion. My contention is that it is just as creditable to 

 produce a good bunch of Currants, or a dish of Raspberries, 

 Apples, or Pears, as it is to grow a fine bunch of Grapes ; yet, on 

 planting a vine we don't mind spending an hour in laying out 

 just so every particle of root, and are mighty particular to see 

 that the soil is well shaken and pounded about every root ; but a 

 Pear tree — ugh ! " stick it in." This, of course, does not apply to 

 the present company. Seriously though, to plant properly re- 

 quires thought. The soil may not have been long in position, 

 and may subside, or may not have been sufficiently compressed, 



