69 
singly in the same way, and in this state fill earthen vessels with 
them, and close them up, omitting the sand altogether. This 
latter method is an admirable one; but would, of course, be 
applied only to the finest dessert varieties. One fact must how- 
ever be mentioned. Although fruit, when kept in sand, or 
closed vessels, has a fresh and nice appearance, its flavour we 
have never thought equal to that which had been exposed on 
shelves. 
295 Planting operations. The remaining portion of the trench 
around large fruit trees, intended to be removed, adverted to at 
page 66, may now be excavated, and by the end of the month, 
the trees may be removed. Little need here be said on the 
mode of preparing the stations for them, as that has been fully 
explained in preceding pages ; it may, however, be repeated, 
that loam — sound and rather adhesive loam, of from a foot to 
fifteen inches in depth, is the soil most suitable for nearly all 
fruit trees. And here we should correct a typographical error, 
which crept into page 30 of the Auctarium, eleven lines from 
the bottom. For peat soil, which there occurs, fresh soil 
should be read; by which was intended, any sort of ordinary 
garden soil, which had been used in vegetable culture, and not 
contaminated or weakened by having fruit trees grown in it 
previously. This was suggested as a matter of economy, under 
the conviction that ail parlies could not procure good loam. 
In planting fruit trees, in the latter part of October, it will 
frequently happen, that the leaves are only partially shed ; this, 
however, matters not, unless the season be very late indeed, and 
the leaves still green on the trees; when the operation should 
be delayed for another fortnight. The system of root cutting, 
by means of a trench thrown out at the end of August, as pre- 
viously advised, will, in general, enable the operator to remove 
his trees by the second week in October. Newly planted trees, 
should not, at this early period, be pruned the moment they are 
])lanted ; they may be left until the middle of November, when 
the sooner they are pruned the better ; and in the case of 
Peaches and Nectarines, the wounds should be instantly stopped 
with white lead, at least this is our own practice. 
From long experience, as well as from the concurrent testi- 
mony of some of the best gardeners of the present age, we are 
fully persuaded that the last fortnight in October, and the first 
275. AUCTARIUM. 
