166 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



take the place of the Apple-trees, in which case they eventually 

 form the main crop. Bush-fruit may be planted as in No. 1. 



3. Standard Plums, Apples, or Cherries, 36 feet apart, with 

 two Nut-bushes between each, and two rows of Nut-bushes 12 

 feet apart between the standard rows. Between the Nut-bushes 

 bush-fruit as in No. 1 may be planted (allowing for the difference 

 in distance of the standard trees), but care must be taken not to 

 let the Nut-bushes be overcrowded. It is best to plant standards 

 over Nuts, as the Nuts when full-grown are about 5 feet high. 



When pyramids are planted it is necessary to put up wire 

 netting round the field to keep off hares and rabbits. Indeed, 

 it is cheaper in the end to put up netting round all plantations 

 where there are standard trees, though hares and rabbits may be 

 prevented gnawing the trees by painting the stems with a mix- 

 ture of clay, lime, soot, and cow-dung. This has to be renewed 

 three or four times during the winter, and especially in hard 

 weather, or if snow is on the ground. There are a number of 

 mixtures advertised for dressing the trees with to keep off 

 ground-game, and there is no doubt many of them will do so, 

 and probably kill the trees. Any mixtures containing tar or 

 tar oils is fatal to the trees, and it is far better to use a home- 

 made preparation such as I have given above. The netting 

 should be 5 feet wide, lj-inch mesh, and 17 gauge, the cost 

 of it being about £2 per 100 yards. In putting up the netting 

 let it into the ground 4 inches, and turn it 6 inches at the 

 bottom outwards, it should also be turned 6 inches outwards at 

 the top ; the rabbits will then be unable to scratch under or run 

 up it and get over. 



Cost of Planting Mixed Plantations. — The cost of planting 

 depends on the state of the land, and also on what description of 

 trees or bushes it is proposed to plant. If the land is foul it 

 has first to be thoroughly cleaned. Nothing is more fatal than 

 to plant trees on foul ground ; it is impossible to clean it after the 

 bushes are planted. We assume, then, that the land is clean 

 and in good heart, and the cost of planting a mixed plantation, 

 such as I have described above, may be taken approximately at 

 £24 per acre ; but if Strawberries are planted between the bushes 

 a further sum of £5 per acre must be added, and again if 

 pyramids are planted between the standards, instead of bush- 

 fruit, £10 per acre must be added. This does not include 



