230 THE ORCHARD. [March. 
Where the soil is naturally defective, such may be assisted by 
the application of proper manures and composts; applying them 
to the whole ground, if but of moderate extent, or, if extensive, 
to the place where each tree is to stand, for a space of eight or ten 
feet in diameter, working it up with the natural soil. 
This trouble, however, in extensive Orchards, would be very ex- 
pensive; therefore, those who have choice of ground, should be 
very careful to fix upon a proper soil, such as would require but 
little assistance. 
Preparation of the Ground. 
The preparation of the ground, for the reception of fruit-trees, 
is either by digging a spacious place for each tree, a general trench- 
ing of the ground, or by ploughing it. If the latter kind of prepa- 
ration is intended, and that the ground has been under pasture for 
some years; you should plough the green sward the spring before 
you plant the trees, and also two or three times in the course of the 
summer following, to rot the sward, pulverize the earth, and to pre- 
vent the growth of weeds. 
Early in October you should plough it again, very deep, running 
the plough twice in each furrow, in order to make it deep and 
loose for the roots of the trees; which, should be planted therein, 
in the course of the same or next month; but if the soil be moist, 
March will be a much better season. 
Or you may plough as above, eight or ten feet wide for each row 
of trees, leaving the remainder of the ground untouched. 
In planting Orchards on a grass ground, in very good soil, you 
may dig a hole for each tree capacious enough for the easy recep- 
tion of all the roots loosening the bottom well, without disturbing 
any other part of the ground: but when it is trenched either 
wholly, or some considerable width along the place of each row 
of trees, it will consequently prove of disproportionate advantage. 
Your Orchard should get a good dressing of manure, once in two 
or three years, whether under crops of grain, or grass; this will 
prove very serviceable to the trees, and also more than repay your 
expences, in the abundance of the succeeding crops. If the ground 
is suffered to be exhausted by successive crops of fruit, and grass or 
grain, without refreshing it occasionally by manure, it will soon, 
if not extremely fertile, become unfit to produce either. 
Tillage is favourable to the growth of young trees; whereas in 
grass-ground their progress is comparatively slow, for want of the 
earth being stirred about their roots, and being frequently injured 
by grazing stock. Where circumstances will allow, it is best to 
plant fruit-trees on newly broken-up ground, and to cultivate the 
soil (refreshing it with manure as often as necessary), until the 
trees are well grown; then to lay it down to grass; for after that 
period the shade of the trees would do less injury to it, than to any 
other crop, and besides, the pending boughs would render tillage 
inconvenient. 
