FEBRUARY. 
45 
dressing of manure; and we were told the quantity and quality of the 
fruit they produce was beyond conception. This place being within 
easy distance of both Harrogate and Leeds, many of the inhabitants 
and visitors from each place avail themselves of his lordship’s liberality 
in throwing open both his house and grounds every Thursday during 
the summer for their inspection, and for which they must feel deeply 
grateful. 
The courteous replies to all our inquiries, as well as the very 
hospitable reception we met with at the hands of Mr. Laurell will 
cause us always to look back with emotions of pleasure to our visit to 
Harewood. A. 
A FEW REMARKS ON FRUIT TREE PLANTING. 
The planting of fruit trees is an operation simple enough in itself, but 
it is at the same time an all-important one as regards the ultimate 
results to be obtained. The generality of practical gardeners now-a-days 
perform the work in accordance with sound principles, and the results 
are usually most satisfactory. There are, however, some persons, but 
more especially novices in the art, who plant trees not on the most 
correct principles, but rather something in the manner they would a post. 
The following remarks, which are the result of many years’ experience, 
are offered for their advantage. One of the first things to be considered 
is, that a tree is a living nicely organised production, as certainly 
affected by good or bad treatment as an animal. Before planting any 
trees, the state and condition of the soil must be ascertained. If it is 
capable of being improved by manure, &c., it should be done ; and if it 
is positively bad it should be removed and be replaced by good. If the 
subsoil is of a strong, heavy, retentive nature, it should be drained; if 
of a gravelly or porous nature, drainage is not always necessary. The 
ground being properly prepared, the next matter for consideration is the 
best time for planting. I prefer the autumn, but rather than lose a 
season I would plant any time in open mild weather during the winter 
and spring up to the end of April. It requires two persons to plant a 
tree properly. The holes for receiving the trees should be made 
sufficiently large to receive the roots entire without either bending or 
crowding them. Trees should never be planted more than an inch 
deeper than they were in the nursery; deep planting is often fatal, and 
always injurious. Before planting, pare off with a sharp knife all the 
broken roots ; then hold the tree upright in the hole prepared to receive 
it, and spread out the roots in their natural position ; the soil should 
then be carefully introduced around and between all the roots and fibres; 
when these are well covered with soil press it gently, but firmly, down 
with your foot (in recommending this I of course presume the soil is not 
wei) ; then fill the hole completely up. If there is any secret in planting, 
it lies in carefully filling in the mouldy so that every root, and even the 
smallest fibres, may meet the soil. Deaths by transplanting often arise 
from the hollows left among the roots by a rapid and careless mode of 
shovelling the earth among the roots. Trees planted in the autumn 
