PRACTICAL PAPERS—HORTICULTURE. 297 
ries for future planting. The younger members of the family 
may be led to take great interest in the nursery trees, and if 
cared for and grown by them, they will not lose their interest, 
as both trees and children grow older. 
In all we do, we should start with the firm resolve to do 
everything well. And the very foundation of this consists in 
deep and thorough preparation of the soil before planting. No 
amount of after culture will fully compensate for the lack of 
this. Choice of soil and aspect is also important. In fruits, 
all like a deep loam, but perhaps this is most essential to pears. 
Give grapes a southern slope, the warmer the better—high and 
dry. For most trees this southern aspect is about the worst, 
as they here get too sudden changes from cold to heat, and 
start too early in the spring. Give everything thorough drain¬ 
age ; nothing desirable will grow or remain long in health with 
stagnant water about its roots. Currants, gooseberries and 
raspberries can best bear some shade and moisture. While 
we would do everything practicable for the good of our trees, 
we must remember that it is possible to ‘‘kill with kindness.” 
We must be sure that our young trees are not made to grow 
too late in autumn. They should cease to make new wood by 
August 15th to 30th, and expend their remaining energies in 
thoroughly maturing and hardening up the wood already 
made. Otherwise the first frosts will find them soft and ten¬ 
der, and they will surely suffer. The proper treatment is to 
cultivate well, early in the season, and not stir the soil later 
than about August 1st. Trees, both in orchard and nursery, 
that grow too late, should be stopped by pinching off the young 
points. 
The safest guide as to what varieties to plant, is to carefully 
examine the orchards in your vicinity, and plant such as you 
there find doing best. This is a matter of great importance, for 
in almost every orchard you will find three or four kinds actu¬ 
ally producing more fruit than all the others. Six to ten kinds 
are all that are desirable for profit in any orchard. As a rule, 
two or three years old, and four to six feet high is the best age 
