MUL3HING A.ND MANURING. 
45 
Avoid deep planting. More than half the losses in orchard 
planting* in America arises from this cause, and the equally 
common one of crowding the earth too tightly about the roots. 
No tree should be placed deeper than it formerly grew, as its 
roots are stifled from the want of air, or starved by the poverty 
of the soil at the depth where they are placed. It is much the 
better and more natural process in fact to plant the tree so that 
it shall, when the whole is complete, appear just as deep as 
before, but standing on a little mound two or three inches higher 
than the level of the ground about. This, when the mound set- 
tles, will leave it nearly on the level with the previous surface. 
Mulching is an excellent practice with transplanted trees, and 
more especially for those which are removed late in the spring. 
Mulching is nothing more than covering the ground about the 
stems with coarse straw, or litter from the barn-yard, which by 
preventing evaporation keeps the soil from becoming dry, and 
maintains it in that moist and equable condition of temperature 
most favourable to the growth of young roots. Very many trees, 
in a dry season, fail at midsummer, after having made a fine 
start, from the parched and variable condition of the earth about 
the roots. Watering frequently fails to save such trees, but 
mulching when they are planted will entirely obviate the neces- 
sity of watering in dry seasons, and promote growth under any 
circumstances. Indeed watering upon the surface, as com- 
monly performed, is a most injurious practice, as the roots, 
stimulated at one period of the day by water, are only rendered 
more susceptible to the action of the hot sun at another, and the 
surface of the ground becomes so hard, by repeated watering, 
that the beneficial access of the air is almost cut off. If trees 
are well watered in the holes, while transplanting is going on, 
they will rarely need it again, and we may say never , if they 
are well mulched directly after planting. 
The best manure to be used in preparing the soil for trans- 
planting trees is a compost formed of two thirds muck or black 
peat earth, reduced by fermenting it several months in a heap 
with one-third fresh barn-yard manure. Almost every farm 
will supply this, and it is more permanent in its effects, and 
less drying in its nature, than the common manure of the stable. 
An admirable manure recently applied with great success, is 
charcoal — the small broken bits and refuse of the charcoal 
pits — mixed intimately with the soil. Air-slaked lime is an 
excellent manure for fruit trees in soils that are not naturally 
calcareous. Two or three handfuls may be mixed with the soil 
when preparing each space for planting, and a top dressing may 
be applied with advantage occasionally afterwards, to increase 
their productiveness. But wherever large orchards or fruit 
gardens are to be planted, the muck compost heap should be 
made ready beforehand, as it is the cheapest, most valuable, and 
durable of all manures for fruit trees. 
