ef EARTH, &c.

^ejs, till your Trenches and Holes be filled four or five Inches above theLevel or Area of the Ground, to which it will quickly subside uponthe first Refreshings, and a very gentle treading to establish the Tree.Fruit planted in such Mould, you will find to prosper infinitely better,than where young Trees are clapped in at adventure in new broken-upEarth, which is always cold and sluggish, and ill complexion d; nor"dll they require (as else they do) to be supplied every foot with freshSoil, before they be able to put forth lusty and spreading Roots ; butwhich it is impossible to convey to them, so as to affect the under-parts,by excavating the Ground, and undermining the Trees (after once theyarrive to any Stature) without much Trouble and Inconvenience, andthe manifest retarding of their Progress.

If you will plant in Tits and Holes , and not give your Ground anUniversal Trenching (which I prefer) make them the larger, {Jive footat the least square) but not above half a yard, or two foot deep, accord-ing to the Nature of the Tree. In dressing the Roots, be as sparing aspossible of the Fibres, small and tender Strings, (which are as it werethe Emulgent Veins which infume and convey the Nourishment to thewhole Tree; ) and such of the stronger and more confirmed Parts whichyou trim, cut sloping, lo as the Wound may best apply to the Earth. TheHead or Top I advise you to let alone, till after the most penetratingColds be pafs'd; and then, about February , to take them off, andshape them as you please, and as the skilful Gardiners can direct you;or as it is described graphically in Monsieur de la Quinteny’s CompleatGardiner, and his industrious Epitomizers. Now the Earth in whichyou thus plant your Fruit-Trees, will require four annual Stirrings ;namely, at the Approach of March, a Spade-bit deep, covering itwith some mungy Stuff, Heaps of Grafs or JVeeds , to protect it fromthe parching Sun : In May following, after a gentle Rain, stir again,but not so deep as to molest the fubnafeent IVeeds. Thirdly, in theMonth of July, and lastly Oftober, after the fame Method you aretaught in March.

This, for Standards planted out for good and all: The Nursery re-quires a busier Process, as 'tis excellently deicrib’d by ’Squire Cotton inthat late incomparable Manual publifh’d by that worthy Perlon.Briefly thus; three Weeks before Midsummer lay some green Fernabout the Ranks, after the Ground is labour’d, to defend it from theHeats: In which Work Care must be also had not to offend the tenderRoots; therefore you shall stir it deeper in the middle of the Lines orInterstices; and when JVinter comes, bury the Ferns in the Place, bytnaking little Trenches, or rather taking away some of the Earth youstioulder’d up, when the Stocks were first drawn out of the Seminary ,and planted in thole Rows; yet lo, as to leave it somewhat higher thanthe Area, to secure them from the Frosts. In March following, stiryour Nursery again, chopping and mincing in the Fern, and minglingA with the loolen’d Mould which you took from the Imps when youfirst applied the Fern: then back them up again as before. Repeatthis three or four Years successively, till your Stocks are fit to graff on.An Orchard thus planted, Spring and Autumnal stirring of the Mouldabout them, is of incredible Advantage; and even during the hottestSummer Months carefully to abate the Weeds (but not to dig above aquarter of a Spit deep, for fear of exposing them to the Sun, unless itbe after plentiful Showers) is very necessary.

4 U

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