Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/233



HE best months for planting and transplanting are July and August. Allow quite 20 feet between each tree, and before putting them into the ground cut off all broken and bruised roots, and when planting allow the roots to spread out and lie naturally, do not try to twist long roots into a small hole. The soil should be loose and well-manured with old stuff. Many people make the mistake of putting in fresh manure, which more often than not kills the trees. The oldest stable manure is best, and the droppings from the fowl-house, mixed with the ordinary mould is also very good—one spade of droppings to four of mould.

When the tree is in and the hole half filled up, tread round it firmly and see that the tree is perfectly straight, then fill up, but do not have the tree any deeper in the ground than it was originally. Then drive a good strong stake into the ground beside it, let it be about a foot taller than the tree, and tie it firmly but carefully to the stake near the top, using some soft stuff not likely to hurt or bruise the bark. Strips of old flannel are as good as anything.

When your trees have made one year's growth, prune away where you wish the trunk to be. Often there will be laterals spring out from the roots and near the roots, they must be cut away, and a better way is to break them at their joint to the tree. Choose one strong branch as leader to form the head of your tree; top it at a certain distance and cut away all other laterals, save three, which should be left somewhat shorter than your head. Watch carefully month by month as wood is made, and you can shape your trees to suit your own ideas.