Many words have been necessarily employed in directing to the business of graffing, but let not that circumstance deter ingenuity from setting about the work; or a few failures prevent perseverance, which will at length be crowned with success, and the atchievement be a pleasing reward. Make proper marks, or memorandums, to be assured hereafter of the sorts.

Lipping, mentioned page 92, is cutting the slopeface of the cion so as to leave a rib down the middle; and then cutting out a notch in the part of the stock that is to receive it.

Double-budding, mentioned page 95, is twice-budding, first the stock, and then the shoot when it is grown big enough, which is in two years.

SECTION VIII.

OF PLANTING.

be

As so much depends upon proper planting, every attention ought to be paid it. This business may arranged under these several heads. 1. The choice of plants. 2. The act of planting. 3. The soil.

4. The situation. 5. The season.

1. As to the CHOICE of plants. Trees ought to be the best of the kind; and therefore no care in raising, or caution and expence in purchasing, should be spared, that at least there may be a fair prospect of satisfaction. To plant, and after waiting a long time, to be disappointed, is rather a serious misfortune; especially when the work is to be begun again late in life.

Having some confidence that the sort is right and good, the plants must be seen to, that they are healthy; they should appear sound as to any external injury. If they are of a squat, weak, bushy growth, there can be little expectation of their becoming good plants; though it may sometimes happen that a tree of poor promise will rally and become fruitful.

Trees graffed on old stunted stocks, or that have often been removed, or frequently cut down, seldom grow off well in any soil, and should be rejected. Let those that are purchased be seen to, as nurserymen often have such trees, having remained long on hand.

Good young trees have a smooth, bright, and strait appearance, and are evidently of a free growth; though the most luxuriant are not to be preferred, for their wood is raw, and wants that firmness which is necessary to fruitfulness; they may get off this crude state in time, but the moderately free-growers are best, causing less trouble and fruiting sooner.

Old fruit trees may sometimes succeed with good management, but they are liable to stunt, and dwindle off; whereas young ones establish their roots quickly, and grow off apace; so that young trees planted at the same time with old ones, generally overtake them in a few years, and become greatly superior.

To have moderate shooting trees for the wall; or espalier, chuse such whose twigs are rather slender, provided they are healthy they will not only be kept easier within compass, but in general prove more fruitful.

2. The ACT of planting. Trees taken up for planting should be dug carefully, with (as much as possible) their full roots. Many a good tree has failed merely by being taken up badly, and then

planted so. The roots of fruit-trees are often not only mangled, and too few, but are also put into the ground without any dressing or case.

The less roots are exposed to the air the better, and the sooner trees are planted after being taken up, the more likely they are to succeed well. Trees properly packed (i. e. the roots well covered) may live out of ground ten days or a fortnight, in autumn, or early in the spring; but nothing except necessity will justify the keeping a tree out of ground a day longer than can be helped, for the fine roots dry off apace.

If it be determined for any length of time before hand, when and where to plant, the opening the ground, and exposing the holes to the sun and air, (and if it may be to frost also) will both correct crudities in the soil, and enrich it from the various stores of the atmosphere; this opening should be as wide and deep as convenient, that the benefits of the air may be extended.

Some people do the work of planting very idly, as if it were sufficient to see that a tree has a root, and that it was only necessary to hide it in the ground. Every one who plants trees should stand by himself, or have some trusty person to see the work done, or the necessary labour may not be bestowed. It is frequently the way (for instance) to dig a hole no bigger than will just receive the roots of a tree twisted and forced in; but being thus cramped, and the vessels of their roots distorted and broke, it cannot be expected that such unnatural treatment should answer.

But the above violence is not all; the roots are confined as in a prison, (in a tub or a bason) which, if the soil is strong, detains wet, and chills and cankers, if not rots the fibres. To plant well, the roots of a tree should have liberty to strike out freely

every way, and the ground well broke for their easy progress. Let the hole for a tree be loosened about two feet deep, and as wide as will be much more than sufficient to receive the roots in their full spread as they grew, with little or no direction contrary to the original one.

When the tree is to be planted, take out the earth a little lower than necessary for the roots, at the depth the tree is designed to stand; then dig the bottom to the full spade's depth. Trim any dead or damaged part of the root clean off; thin it of the finer fibres if withered, or matted thick, and the more of them, according to the time the tree has been out of ground. Trees moved only from one part of the garden to another, need have but few fibres cut off, but some amputations are necessary to help the sooner to new roots, which shortening always forces out. If the root has a tap, (or downright spur) it should be cut to the general level of the other roots, and never be left longer than a foot from the highest part of the root. Those great roots that lay aukward, or crossing, should be judiciously rectified with a sharp knife; be cautious, however, of taking off too much, for the head will produce stronger branches in proportion to the goodness of the root. Though it be little practiced, it may be very well to apply some mixture as of rosin and bees wax, to large amputations; graffing clay, or cow dung may do.

The head of a tree should be somewhat conformed to the root. Some reduction of the head may take place at the time of planting; yet not all that may be thought necessary should be taken off at first; but let alone till the sap stirs at spring, and then care should be taken to proportion the head to the root; and not leave on a tree too many buds, for a few stout branches are preferable to many weak ones.

་

This is the ordinary practice with respect to wall trees, and why not of all others? See articles, Orchard and Pruning, Sect. 3 and 12.

The hole being made as directed, form a little hillock in the middle of it to lav the roots on and round; clap the tree upon it, and having thrown on a little good and well-broke mould, give the tree a gentle shaking lift, which will let the earth in close among the roots, and bring the tree up towards its proper height; by not doing this, the roots are sometimes turned up at the ends, instead of laying rather downwards: Set the tree in the hole high enough to allow for a settling of the earth, in proportion to the depth it was loosened. Young trees, however, should have their roots nearly upon a level, and so must have their ends raised with the hand, if they are suspected to be too much depressed. The mould should be thrown on gently, a little at a time; and if some that is finer and richer than the rest be first put about the roots, just to cover them, it would help the tree to strike fresh roots quickly, and grow the faster.

Trample the mould gently about the roots, beginning at the outside of the hole, and so towards the stem. Finally, leave the ground a little hollow on the top, to receive rains or waterings.

As to depth, trees in a light dry soil may have the top of their roots settled at about five or six inches below the surface, and in a strong soil about three inches; or it may be a general rule to plant a tree no deeper than it grew: for trees planted too deep do not so well. Always keep the roots of a tree above a heavy clay, for the making trenches in clay will not answer, and an unhealthy tree may be looked for. See next article Soil. If the good soil is thin, the roots should be almost planted in sight, raising the earth above them. Take care to protect the roots of all, but especially of high set trees, from