378 
SOU THE KN CULTIVATOE. 
LAYING OUT OECHAEDS. 
We have often observed a good deal of inconvenience 
and perplexity in measuring off and laying out orchards, 
from a want ot accuracy at the commencement. If the 
rows are begun crooked, stake after stake may be altered 
without being able to form straight lines, and with only 
an increase of the confusion. If the first tree, in a row 
of fifty, be placed only six inches out of the way, and be 
followed as a guide for the rest, the last one will deviate 
fifty times six inches, or twenty five feet from a right line, 
even if the first error is not repeated. We have seen large 
apple orchards with rows nearly as crooked as this. To 
say nothing of the deformed appearance to the eye, they 
prove exceedingly inconvenient every time the crooked 
space between the rows was plowed, and every time the 
ground 
was plar 
ited and cultivated with crops in 
rows. 
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COMMON 
OR saUARE 
ARRANGEMENT, 
The most simple and 
convenient 
arrangement for 
chards in all ordinary cases, is in squares, as is shown in 
the above diagram. But planters are often puzzled to 
knov 7 how to lay out such orchards with trees at equal 
distances throughout, and in perfectly straight rows. The 
easiest and most successful mode is first to measure off 
one side along the boundary, with a chain or tape-line (a 
chain is best) and drive in a stake perpendicularly at 
equal distances, (say two rods or 33 feet,) in a strait line, 
and at a proper distance from the fence for the first row of 
trees. Then measure off each end in the same way ; and 
between the tv/o last stakes in these end rows, form anoth- 
er line of stakes like the first, which will be parallel and 
opposite to it. The more accurately the measuring is 
done, the less labor will be required in rectifying small 
errors — no stake should stand half an inch out of a straight 
line. These rows are represented by the letters a, c, d, 
e, f. i> ; h, i- Then measure off the distance between a and 
b, driving in a small stake or peg at each distance of two 
rods ; and then in the same way between b b, c c, &c. If 
accurately done, these will all form perfectly straight 
rows. The holes may then be dug without the least diffi- 
cultp or embarrassment, and the- trees set out. But a 
difficulty arises— as the stakes must be removed in dig- 
ging the holts ; this is at once obviated by the plan here 
proposed, by placing the tree in a line with the row of 
stakes bn one side, and with the newly set trees on the 
other, as the holes are successively dug, and the trees set. 
These directions may seem quite simple, but for want 
of being generally understood, a great many crooked lines 
of trees are seen through the country . — Hhistrated Regis- 
ter o f Rural Affairs. 
TRANSPLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS. 
The desire soon to have large trees and to see them bear- 
ing is very natural. Most persons are, therefore, anxious 
to plant large trees. Large trees, however, have always 
large roots, which never can be taken out of the ground, 
without being considerably injured. The most experi- 
enced nurserymen, therefore, in all countries, agree that 
thrifty “maiden trees,’' that is, one or two years old. are 
by far the best for iransplanting, | 
It is somelmies the ca3e,iiiat a tree, winch has received 
all the care that a nurserymen can bestow on it, will not 
thrive well when transplanted to a private garden or orch- 
ard. But how could it be expected that a tree should 
thrive when the roots are crammed down into a hole just 
large enough for a gate-post I Let it always be borne in 
mind that the soil in which a tree is to produce fruit, hard- 
ly ever can be too rich nor too well worked, and that a 
good fruit tree will amply repay any care bestowed upon it. 
When trees are received from a distance, and have for 
some time been out of the ground, it is well to immerse 
the bodies and roots in water from 12 to 24 hours, accord- 
ing to the size of the tree. When the soil is poor, as is 
often the case, some manure well mixed and incorporated 
with the soil, should be thrown in the bottom of the hole. 
The treeshould be planted about as deep as it stood before, 
and in such a way that the roots may be extended out in 
every direction. Press the soil but little, but be certain to 
give each tree at least one or two buckets of water. This 
will settle the earth much better around the fine fibrous 
roots than it can be done with the foot. Tie the tree firm- 
ly to a straight stake, which must touch the bottom of the 
hole. But as it is impossible that the stunted and not yet 
re-established roots of a transplanted tree can support as 
much top as before transplanting, the top must always be 
pruned in proportion as the roots have been shortened, 
and as it is a true doctrine, that the roots extend as much 
or still more in the ground as the top does above the 
surface, every one will see that the top needs consider- 
able shortening ; therefore, never omit to prune very se- 
verely, All broken or bruised roots must be cut off, with 
an upward slant, from beneath, usinga sharp knife. We 
have seen hundreds of trees, transplanted with their entire 
top, absolutely dying, until the only remedy — cutting off 
the whole top — suddenly gave them life and vigor again; 
but in this case it is very important to cover the wound 
immediately with some grafting wax, and to protect the 
stem against the hot sun, by placing some green shading- 
branches around it. Inexperienced people often blame the 
trees or tlie nurseryman for what should be attributed to 
their own miserable treatment. 
Many persons are in the habit of trimming up the stems 
like pine trees ; nothing can be more erroneous in the 
South, In a climate like that of the Southern States, d warf 
trees and pyramids are unquestionably the most suitable. 
Such trees will soon, by a judicious pruning,-form a fine 
spreading head, which will, by itself, protect the stem 
from the scorching summer sun in the easiest, cheapest, 
and by far the best possible manner, and thus prevent the 
premature decay and loss of the tree . — '' Rruitland Narsc- 
nff Catalogue. 
December , January and February are the proper 
months for planting trees in the South — the earlier the 
better in these months.— Eds. 
PEARS ON THE QUINCE. 
Allow me to send you a fev." remarks suggested by our 
late conversation about the question of Dwarf Pear trees. 
I do not intend them for publication, but you are at per- 
fect liberty to make such use of these suggestions as you 
deem proper, I do not wish to enter into a polemic with 
some gentlemen, whom I esteem much in all other re- 
spjects, but whose opinion I can neither admit nor pass 
unheeded. This is the land of free discussion, at least in 
our pursuits, and I hope nobody will take offence at my 
taking up the cause of the useful and muchabused quince. 
A gentleman among others, after stating some experi- 
ments m which some of his quince trees succeeded very 
well, others not accounts for the opposite and contradictory 
result by considering the Cydonia or quince tree unfit for 
our climate, being a native of Japan. If that is true, why 
did more than oiae-half of his dwarf trees, though, as he 
