648 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE NUTMEG AND ITS CULTIVATION, 
ble visitants. The earth so soon as prepared ought to be placed 
under sheds until required for use, otherwise it loses much of its sti¬ 
mulating properties, particularly if exposed to heavy rains. 
The Planter having set out all his trees must not deem his la¬ 
bours completed, they are only commencing. To arrive thus far is 
simple and easy, but to patiently watch and tend the trees for ten years 
after, requires all the enthusiasm already mentioned. About three 
months after planting out, the young trees will receive great benefit 
if a small quantity of liquid fish manure be given them. In the first 
six years they ought to be trenched round three times, enlarging the 
circle each time, the trenches being dug close to the extremities of 
the roots which generally correspond to the ends of the branches, 
and each new trench commencing where the old one terminated, 
they must of course greatly increase in size as the circle extends, re¬ 
quiring a proportionate quantity of manure, but the depth ought ne¬ 
ver to be less than two feet. The object in trenching is to loosen the 
soil and permit the roots to spread, otherwise the tree spindles in¬ 
stead of becoming broad and umbrageous. This operation might with 
much benefit be performed ere the roots arrive at the outer rim of 
the already prepared soil, instead of the usual plan of waiting until 
they penetrate the unloosened earth, by which many of the roots are 
necessarily obliged to be cut and the tree thereby cheeked for some 
months. The present plan of manuring has invariably this effect, and 
might be altered with decided advantage, for it can never benefit a 
tree to cut and destroy the extremities of the roots by which it is 
mainly supported. Were the trenches therefore made in an advance 
of the roots it would be a very great improvement in the cultivation. 
As the trenches are now dug for the purpose of manuring, the usual 
mode is to throw into the bottom of the trench all the grass that can 
be collected, covered by a layer of earth, filling up the remainder with 
manure and earth well mixed, part of which ought to be used for 
top dressing having previously scraped away the surface soil so as 
just to expose the extremities of the roots. In time the circles ex¬ 
tending, will at last meet, and the whole of the ground having been 
by that time gone over, the trees ought to completely cover the 
ground and top dressing will then suffice. This latter would at all 
times be the most economical mode of manuring, and might be giv¬ 
en after every heavy crop, but as I before mentioned it is essen¬ 
tially necessary to loosen the whole of the ground, or the thick fi¬ 
brous root of the nutmeg cannot pierce through, and the plant will 
