8 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
posed situations, and where there is plenty of room, a few forest 
trees may be added, at a little distance. 
That soil which produces good crops of corn, grass, or garden 
vegetables, will also do well for an orchard. A loamy soil 
should, however, be preferred, and a shingly or gravelly soil 
avoided, unless there is loam intermixed: a medium soil, be¬ 
tween light and dry, and wet, and stubborn, will be suitable. 
If the subsoil is clay, the roots will require to be cut in every 
four or five years, to prevent them from penetrating too deeply. 
Before planting, the soil should be trenched two spades deep, 
and ten feet broad, where the trees are to be planted, and the 
subsoil should also be loosened, if it is not clay, which is best 
kept trodden down. If it is pasture land, it ought to be 
ploughed and summer fallowed, to kill the grass, as well as 
pulverize the soil. T consider ploughing to be more effective 
than trenching, as the latter operation turns the sod below, 
where it is a long time decaying, and harbours the grub, which 
frequently does mischief to the roots. 
The best time for planting on a dry soil is October; if wet, 
the end of February or even March is preferable. It will be 
necessary to support the trees against the wind until they 
become well rooted. In planting, endeavour to suit the trees 
as well as possible to the soil and situation, and to plant them 
at proper distances from each other; this may be from forty to 
eighty feet, according to the size attained by the trees when 
full grown. Fruit trees, when planted too thickly, are liable to 
become blighted, and covered with moss, which is highly detri¬ 
mental. Procure the trees, if possible, from a similar soil to 
that in which they are about to be planted, or rather more 
sterile, for trees when transplanted from a rich soil to a poor 
one, seldom thrive; but if from a poor soil they are removed 
to a more fertile one, they will seldom fail. 
In the choice of trees, too much care can scarcely be be¬ 
stowed : none should be admitted which have not good roots, 
fair clean stems, and properly formed heads. It is necessary, 
too, to secure a proper assortment of varieties, especially of 
apples and pears, for much will depend on this: very few of 
the summer kinds will suffice; a greater number of autumn 
kinds should be chosen, and still more of the late kinds, as upon 
these latter will depend the supply, from the month of January 
