CULTIVATION OF THE PEACH. 
101 
may be, and perhaps are contained in soils 
which are unduly furnished with water; but 
they are, in this case, just in that unwhole- 
some condition which renders it a moral im- 
possibility that plants can thrive, even though 
they do imbibe them. Wet soil, too, is neces- 
sarily compact, the weight of water contained 
in it acts with continued pressure on the ad- 
jacent layers, and the fluid itself is present to 
fill up the interstices, which would otherwise 
be open; under these circumstances the gase- 
ous elements of the air cannot penetrate the 
soil in sufficient abundance to render their 
allotted portions in the nutrition of plants; 
and hence, under such circumstances, some 
portion at least of their proper food is unavail- 
able by the plants. 
In removing such trees as the Peach, for 
transplantation, some care is necessary, so that 
the least possible amount of injury may be 
experienced by the roots. The proper course 
to pursue is to commence by opening a trench 
at the extremity of the rootlets; then the soil 
above and among the roots should be removed 
in a careful manner, so that they may be en- 
tirely cleared from the soil throughout their 
whole length. The instrument with which 
this can most effectually, as well as most care- 
fully be done, is a flat-pronged fork; a spade 
should not be used in the operation. If the 
tree has to be removed to any distance, the 
greatest care must be taken that the roots 
become neither injured nor desiccated during 
the time of transportation; and one of the 
most ready means of preventing these conse- 
quences is, by enveloping the roots in a piece 
of a garden mat as soon as the plant is taken 
up, and continuing it about them until it is 
replanted. In most cases it will be politic to 
remove a portion from the extremity of the 
strongest roots with a sharp knife; but this 
should not be done in any case where a par- 
ticular root does not manifest a disposition 
to grow more rapidly or rampant than others; 
it should be adopted, not as a matter of routine, 
but simply as a means of regulating and ba- 
lancing the relation between the roots and 
the branches, and also between one root and 
another. 
There are some important particulars which 
should be attended to in replanting the trees 
after their removal; their roots should be 
spread out in a form regularly radiating from 
the stem, and should be placed nearly in an 
horizontal position, but slightly inclining 
downwards; the point from whence the upper 
roots issue from the stem, should be so ad- 
justed, that when the soil is regulated, it may 
be only just covered with the soil, though 
still nearly a foot above the level of the border; 
this will be accomplished by raising a little 
hillock of soil about the stem; the roots should 
be carefully covered with fine soil, to about 
the depth of eight inches; no consolida- 
tion of the soil by means of treading should 
be suffered, but it should be placed evenly 
and lightly, so that it may naturally settle 
down in a regular manner ; hence arises 
the necessity of avoiding treading and tram- 
pling on the border while it is making, for if 
this is done, the parts which are thereby 
consolidated will not settle equally with other 
portions, and the roots will become ruptured 
and injured, just at the period when it is essen- 
tial that they should remain undisturbed, so 
as to establish themselves afresh in their new 
situation. 
There are two points of special attention 
which should follow the act of transplantation: 
one is to secure the tree in a safe and care- 
ful manner to the wall, so that it may not 
be rocked about by strong winds; at the same 
time it must not be subjected to injury by 
reason of rigid confinement, which might 
probably suspend the trees, and thus cause 
the most injurious results. The effect pro- 
duced by strong and heavy winds upon newly 
planted trees, is to disturb the newly adjusted 
roots, to draw them from their position, and 
then to crumple them up as the tree is rocked 
again in an opposite direction; in this way 
the spongioles of the roots are prevented from 
abstracting their proper food from the soil, 
and consequently the growth of the plants 
is retarded and injured. Another attention 
which should be afforded to them is, to cover 
the surface of the soil with a thickness of two 
or three inches of loose long straw or litter, 
as a protection to the roots in severe weather; 
the roots being near the surface of the soil 
will require some protection of this kind, in 
order to prevent them from injury during 
severe or protracted frosts; coverings of this 
kind are beneficial too in assisting to main- 
tain a degree of warmth in the soil, which 
warmth, in consequence of its connexion and 
contiguity to the roots, tends in some degree 
to counterbalance the effects of coldness, in- 
duced by evaporation from the branches. 
It will rarely be necessary, or even desira- 
ble, to apply water at the time of planting; 
in most cases the soil will be sufficiently 
moistened; and unless the weather should 
chance to be sultry or parching, it will be 
preferable not to apply water, lest it should 
be inductive of a renewed growth and excite- 
ment beyond the limited degree which is 
desirable as an establishment to the roots. If, 
however, the autumnal season should be hot, 
and unaccompanied by natural showers, then 
it will become necessary to apply such a pro- 
portion of water, both at the roots and over 
the branches, as will prevent these latter from 
I becoming parched and shrivelled. In almost 
