October  25,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
385 
Preparations  for  Planting. 
In  order  to  have  the  soil  in  the  best  condition  at  the  time  of 
planting  fruit  trees  immediate  attention  should  be  given  to  its 
preparation.  The  most  important  operation  is  to  deepen  it  so  that 
the  roots  can  have  a  medium  of  2  feet  in  depth  in  which  to  ramify, 
draw  support  from,  and  extend  sufficiently  to  hold  the  trees  or  bushes 
firmly  in  position.  The  best  method  to  follow  in  carrying  out  this 
work  is  to  trench  to  the  depth  above  named.  The  bottom  spit  of 
soil  may  be  partially,  if  not  wholly,  mixed  with  the  top.  Should  the 
two  .spits  be  of  unifi  rm  quality  then  entire  intermixing  is  beneficial, 
but  when,  a^  is  frequently  the  case,  it  is  the  reverse,  and  the  bottom 
spit  is  poor  and  unfitted  for  the  entry  of  roots,  it  should  be  well 
broken  up  and  allowed  to  remain  in  its  original  position.  Such  soil 
being  poor  will  also  be  devoid  of  humus.  This  may  be  applied  by 
working  in  some  decom- 
posed  manure,  though  the 
application  of  manure  is  not 
advisable  when  the  ground  is 
generally  fertile  and  grows 
well  the  various  kinds  of 
deep  rooted  and  soil  exhaust¬ 
ing  vegetables. 
Fruit  trees  during  the 
early  years  of  their  existence 
do  not  want  rich  soil,  as  it 
causes  rank,  coarse,  and 
sappy  growth.  Deepening 
the  soil,  however  rich  or 
however  poor,  always  im¬ 
proves  it.  It  sweetens  and 
aerates  the  material  when 
overburdened  with  humic 
matter,  and  rendeis  ground 
which  is  deficient  in  plant 
food  capable  of  receiving 
and  retaining  elements 
which  enrich  it.  Moisture 
from  above  and  below  is 
more  readily  absorbed,  this 
usually  carrying  valuable 
plant  food  with  it. 
When  trtes  or  bushes 
are  to  be  planted  in  plots  or 
positions  of  any  size  it  is 
desirable  to  cultivate  deeply 
the  whole  of  the  soil.  In 
isolated  positions  stations  for 
the  trees  must  be  prepared, 
6  to  8  feet  square,  according 
the  soil  the  same  thorough 
and  careful  treatment  in 
deep  cultivation.  For  plant¬ 
ing  against  walls  or  fences 
the  width  of  ground  culti¬ 
vated  must  depend  on  the 
ultimate  size  ar.d  height  of 
the  trees.  Three  leet  may 
be  the  minimum  width, 
and  this  for  cordons,  while 
for  large  fan-shaped  trees 
extending  on  the  face  of 
high  walls  10  or  12  feet  in 
height,  the  border  will  require  to  be  for  free  growing  trees  10  feet  in 
width. 
Medium-textured  soils  should  be  chosen  for  stone  fruits  generally, 
those  preferably  containing  some  calcareous  matter,  D^ough  this  can 
bo  added  by  mixing  in  old  lime  or  mortar  rubbish,  and  in  addition  the 
soil  should  be  made  firm.  Heavier  soil  is  suitable  for  Apples  and 
Pears.  Rich  soil,  it  should  be  noted,  ought  to  be  prepared  lor 
Raspberries,  not  limiting  the  use  of  manure  in  their  case,  while  for 
Strawberries  also,  as  well  as  Gooseberries  and  Currants,  liberally 
enjich  the  ground  at  the  time  of  preparing  the  sites. 
Well-drained  land  is  in  all  cases  necessary  for  fruit,  that  which  is 
naturally  draine  i  and  free  from  stagnant  moisture  being  much  better 
than  a  water-logged  soil.  This,  however,  can  be  made  suitable  by  a 
system  of  drainage  which  will  carry  surplus  water  away,  or  by  planting 
the  trees  on  raised  mounds  at  least  a  foot  above  the  ordinary  level. 
The  greatest  advantage  in  carrying  out  the  preparations  early  lies 
in  the  fact  that  the  newly  moved  soil  has  time  to  become  consolidated 
for  planting,  and  also  that  it  is  ready  for  the  trees  when  the  time 
arrives  for  planting,  and  a  favourable  opportunity  presents  itself  to 
place  them  in  their  positions.  Small,  healthy,  vigorous  trees  are  the 
bfst,  as  they  are  the  easiest  to  plant  and  the  surest  to  succeed.  Large 
specimens  have  the  disadvantage  of  not  being  readily  moved,  and  less 
certain  of  becoming  established  quickly  unless  they  are  well  furnished 
with  fibrous  roots,  and  these  require  extraordinary  care  in  moving  in 
order  to  prevent  them  becoming  dry  and  shrivelled.  Hence  it  is  the 
most  desirable  upon  the  whole  to  select  and  plant  trees  and  bushes  of  the 
ordinary  planting  s'z'*. — E.  D.  S. 
making  New  l(aspberry  Plantations. 
Fig.  107.--THr,ADIANTHA  dubia. 
It  is  not  an  infrequent  custom  for  Raspberries  to  be  allowed  to 
remain  on  the  same  ground  for  an  indefinite  period,  and  there  are  cases, 
certainly,  where  the  course 
is  perfectly  justified,  because 
of  the  results  obtained. 
There  are  instances,  how¬ 
ever,  where  a  change  of  site 
may  be  made  the  means  of 
changing  scanty  crops  into 
plentiful  ones,  simply  by 
replanting  the  old,  or  a 
newly  acquired  stock  on 
fresh  land.  It  is  not  un¬ 
common  to  find  the  rows  of 
Raspberries  very  uneven  and 
irregular ;  this  is  because 
there  was  not  a  full  or  free 
sucker  growth  from  which 
to  choose  those  that  would 
form  ♦  the  future  fruiting 
cane.  When  the  sucker 
shoots  are  sparse  and  weak 
the  best  must  of  necessity  be 
retained  for  future  gather¬ 
ings,  even  if  they  have 
rambled  away  from  the 
original  rows;  hence  comes 
the  undesirable  irregularity 
of  the  rows,  and  the  unwork¬ 
manlike  aspect  presented. 
Raspberries  are  an  annual 
crop  for  which  there  is 
always  a  demand,  and  I 
cannot  say  that  in  the 
majority  of  gardens  the 
demands  are  fully  met,  and 
this  is  one  reason  why  they 
are  left  alone,  and  new 
plantations  go  unmade. 
Where  an  investment  can 
be  made  in  new.  canes,  not 
much  trouble  presents  itself 
of>  changing  the  site  from 
one  part  of  the  garden  to 
another,  but  as  this  is  not 
always  allowed  other  means 
must  be  devised.  The  re¬ 
moval  of  a  portion  of  the 
existing  bed  means  a  sacrifice 
of  summer  fruit  in  proportion 
to  the  extent  of  disturbance.  If  the  work  is  taken  in  hand  and  eked 
out  in  small  proportions  the  difference  is  not  felt,  and  the  loss  which 
is  felt  in  one  season  is  more  than  compensated  for  in  the  next,  when 
the  newly  planted  ones  come  into  bearing. 
The  early  autumn  is  the  very  best  time  for  the  removal  of 
Raspberries,  and  while  there  is  yet  some  foliage  remaining  on  the  young 
canes.  By  carrying  it  out  thus  early  roots  are  set  in  motion,  which 
enable  them  to  become  at  once  partially  re-established.  The  present 
dry  weather,  too,  is  all  in  favour  of  removal,  for  planted  at  once  they 
would  naturally  benefit  by  the  rain  when  it  does  come.  At  the  time 
of  writing  the  ground  is  very  dry  and  hard,  but  this  is  a  difficulty  that 
is  easily  surmounted  when  necessary.  Early  planting  insures  an  early 
root  hold,  and  this  in  turn  brings  with  it  an  early  first  crop. 
During  the  past  summer  I  was  enabled  to  gather  some  very  fine 
berries  from  canes  planted  in  the  previous  autumn.  These,  it  may  be  said, 
were  shortened  to  within  about  15  inches  to  18  inches  from  the  ground. 
Strong  suckers  sprang  up  from  the  stools  in  spring,  which  give  every 
indication  of  a  heavy  crop  next  year.  From  these  young  and  healthy 
rows  one  may  easily  obtain  new  stock  for  further  additions,  and  if  only 
