they are usually trained; and as if further to insure premature old age, decrepitude, and deformity, they are afterwards several times taken up and transplanted in the same careless manner.

The roots are broken or cut off at random, and generally either diminished more than one half, or they are doubled back and distorted, and if there be enough left to keep the plant alive, it is thought quite sufficient; and by these means the appearance of blossoms and fruit being prematurely produced, those stinted and deformed plants are sold as half, or full-trained trees for four times the price of others; and when sold, they are again taken up, and the roots treated and diminished in the same careless manner.

Miller, Forsyth, Knight, and others, uniformly direct that trees from the nursery ground be cut down, or headed back, to two or three eyes, the next spring after planting; and, with such plants as are here described, there cannot be a better mode of treatment, but this is evidently losing time, and wasting its produce.

Whenever the roots of a tree are diminished on transplantation, the supply of sap must be proportionally lessened; for if the branches of a tree, under such circumstances, are left at full length, the sap-vessels, for want of a due quantity to distend them, become bark-bound and inflexible; and when the roots are restored, and furnish a luxuriant quantity of sap, this, from being obstructed in its former channels, forms new ones through the buds

that offer the most perpendicular position next the stem or trunk; and although these shoots may be rubbed off, still they form again in the same place, and it will be in vain to attempt supporting the original branches.

A regular head cannot be formed, but by a removal of the entire old one; and frequently the vessels of the trunk itself become so fixed and stubborn in the bark, and particularly in standards, as to force the sap out into luxuriant branches near the root.

It has often been made a question, and a subject for argument, whether it is better to transplant from a rich to a poor soil, or the reverse; but as the transplanting from a rich to a poor soil, even were the roots entire, must cause the bark or sapvessels to contract, for want of the usual supply of food, and be productive of the same consequences as curtailing the root, the doubt is easily solved.

It may further be remarked, that however diminutive a plant may be from poverty, provided the vessels have always been free from contraction, they will readily expand through all the usual channels, and receive and additional supply of

sap,

regularly dispose of every however great it may be.

129

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE

MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES

IN THE NURSERY.

THE period of life allotted to us, compared to the growth of a tree, is short; and every person who plants fruit trees with a view to enjoy their produce must consider the saving of a year, or the being enabled to enjoy the fruits of their labour and expence a year earlier, and consequently a year longer, (and this without lessening the future productive powers of a tree,) a most desirable object, and which may readily be attained.

If plants are raised in such a manner that they may be removed with the whole of the roots entire, and without being curtailed or injured, the full benefit of a needful age, and progressive growth and extension of branches, may be transferred from the nursery ground to the garden or orchard, and no loss of time incurred; and this is easily effected when the soil is light, or it might be provided for, either by having the beds or borders prepared with a stratum of light open earth, for

K

the roots to run in, as hereafter described, or more perfectly by raising the plants in pots.

When the stocks or seedlings are planted with a view to transplantation, great care should be taken that the roots be drawn out even, and not crossed or bended; for if the roots are not first placed in a right posture, they seldom grow straight, or can be taken up perfect.

If apricots, peaches, plums, and all dwarf trees, are raised in pots of about fourteen inches diameter and depth, such trees may be trained two or three years to the full extent of their growth, and in proper shape, and be then transplanted, without receiving any check, or occasioning loss of time.

This process may be attended with a little more trouble and expence, but it would certainly give the nurserymen a better claim for double the sum than the price now charged for trees of more than one year old. And if those who are about planting consider their interest, they will rather pay twice the sum for trees raised in this manner, than what is now charged for those which are called trained trees, raised in the common way.

A peach or nectarine tree thus raised, and trained as hereinafter directed, may be removed the third autumn after budding, and the following summer produce several dozens of the finest fruit; the next year, (the fourth,) twice the number; and the fifth year, upwards of forty dozen; and these are certainly advantages sufficiently great to counterbalance a trifling additional expence.

It will also answer as good a purpose to raise apple trees in the same manner; for when the roots of those trees are diminished or injured, they require along time to recover the loss, indeed few more so,—and after repeated transplantation, they seldom form handsome or healthy trees.

A standard tree of three or four years' growth from the graft near the ground, or one year from a stem of due height, removed with its roots entire and uninjured, will make greater progress towards forming a handsome tree, produce more fruit, and in orchards get out of the reach of cattle, in less time than those raised and transplanted in the common way will do, of six or eight years old.

The shape or figure which the different trees should be trained to, I have represented by sketches.

As to the mode and manner of performing the different operations of budding, or inoculating and engrafting, &c. I shall not attempt to suggest any improvement of the general practice; but it will of course be necessary, that the stock should be sufficiently recovered from its transplantation, and have taken good root, before it is operated upon.

All plants that are intended to be trained with two stems from the buds, such as peach trees, &c. should have two buds inserted opposite each other, and the stocks should be carefully looked over the spring next after budding; but if only one be inserted, or one only should grow, as soon as this begins to shoot, its top must be nipped off, to occasion