The Cultivation of Fruits 
149 
and all damaged roots should be cut off with a clean, sharp 
knife, making the cut in a slanting direction — upwards, 
so that when the tree is placed in the hole for planting, 
none of the cut surfaces are visible. The water will then 
drain away from these cut surfaces, and allow them to 
heal quickly. If the cut surface faces upwards, the water 
settles in the wood vessels and prevents the wound healing 
quickly. When the roots have been dressed, the hole 
should be dug for the tree, care being taken that the roots 
can be spread out straight all round. The roots of the 
tree are the collectors, and also the channels through which 
the moisture with food substances in it passes up into the 
leaves. If such channels are stopped by being doubled up, 
the tree must suffer. The hole must not be too deep, 
for it must be remembered that most of the food is in the 
surface soil, and that not only is there a scarcity of food in 
the subsoil, but there are other substances in it which are 
injurious to plant roots, until it has been exposed to the 
atmosphere and tilled for some time. The hole having 
been made, and the roots well spread, the soil used to 
cover the roots should be broken up very fine, to allow 
it to get W ell in amongst the root fibres. When once the 
soil is put in, the tree should not be moved; otherwise 
the roots are sure to get doubled up. When the roots 
are covered over, the rougher soil may be put in, and 
when the hole is half- filled, the soil should be firmed in 
with the feet, afterwards filling up the hole, and then 
firming again to prevent the wind from shaking the tree, 
and also to give the roots a good hold of the soil. If 
the trees are large, they may, for a time, require a stake 
to prevent them being loosened or blown over. 
