340 
FRUIT-TREE BORDERS. 
three feet from the stem, according to the size of the tree, and filling 
them up with light rich soil. In renewing the old border, take out a 
trench at one end and carry it to the other, which will be ready to 
fill the last with. If the old border never had any stones, &c. put at 
the bottom, it should be done by laying some at the bottom of every 
trench; a drain may be made also by digging a little lower in front. 
The quantity of dung, loam, &c. for renewing, must depend entirely 
on the state of the old border, if it is much exhausted it will want a 
good portion of well rotted dung, with some fresh loam and road 
scrapings; if it is not much exhausted it will want the greatest portion 
of loam with a little dung and road scrapings. Some Gardeners 
make fruit tree borders very rich, which often prove very hurtful to 
the trees, by causing them to make a great deal of strong wood and 
produce but little fruit; if there is any bad soil in the old border such 
as clay, gravel, &c. it must be taken away. 
I do not think it necessary to make the border so deep for every 
sort of fruit trees, as I stated above for making new borders, that 
depth is the most suitable for Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots. 
Pears and Cherries do well in about twenty inches of soil on a bed of 
stones and gravel. Plums and Apples want two feet. Grape Vines 
two feet and a half, on a bed of stones eight or ten inches deep. 
Figs want eighteen inches. 
In making new borders, or renewing the old, some difference should 
be made in the soil for different kinds of trees, if it can be conveni¬ 
ently done. I subjoin a list of a few kinds of fruit trees, with the 
sort of soil which each kind will do well in. 
For Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums, and Grape Vines, half 
of good top-spit loam; a little more then one fourth of well rotted 
dung, and another fourth part of road scrapings and vegetable mould, 
the whole mixture must be well incorporated. 
For Pears and Apples, three-fourths of loam, one fourth of road 
scrapings and vegetable mould well mixed. For Cherries a fresh 
hazel loam with a little well rotted dung. 
For Figs, a rich pliable loam. 
I hope I shall not intrude too far on your pages, but I must add 
that stones are of great importance at the bottom of fruit trees. They 
take off the superfluous moisture in wet weather, and retain moisture 
in times of drought. The fruit is also much better flavoured when 
the tree grows on a dry bottom. 
June 10th, 1834. 
