As Points of open-air Culture and Management, we shall in the present article recommend but a few. The first shall be to plant trees less deep than usual, and, in many cases, in a hillock half above the surface, rather than under it. The object, with fruit trees, is to bring the roots more immediately under the influence of the sun and air, and to discourage their descent into the substratum, by which the tree is kept growing beyond the proper season, prevented from ripening its wood, and often infested with canker. The object with forest or ornamental trees in a park, or on a lawn, is partly the same as with fruit trees, but principally to give them a natural appearance; the bases of the stems of all trees which have sprung up from the seed fortuitously being found raised above the surface, and clinging to it by the spreading of the trunk into leading roots, and never, as in artificial planting, rising abruptly from the surface like a column without a base. This seemingly trifling matter, if attended to in transplanting large trees in parks, instead of placing them always on a perfectly level base, and covering all their roots, would convey the idea of natural wood, stability, and even age. This, we think, every close observer of natural wood scenery, capable of analysing the impressions it makes upon him, will allow. A practice which ought to go hand in hand with planting trees on the surface is that of forming fruit tree borders in cold climates, and where the walls are not high, much shallower than is usually done, and never digging or cropping the borders after they are once formed. This practice was strongly recommended, by Hitt, half a century ago; but it is very generally neglected, and the excuse, where the parties know better, is, that they cannot spare the borders, they being wanted for the culture of early crops. This may be true, and the evil may be one without a ready remedy; but, if persisted in, it need, not be wondered at that trees so treated, whether on walls or espaliers, seldom produce a crop of well-flavoured fruit. In the garden in which we have seen the best crops, both on the walls and on standards (that of C. J. S. Walker, Esq., of Longford, near Manchester), not only the wall borders, but circles of several yards in diameter under the standard trees, were never dug or cropped; but covered with short dung or leaves, and only pointed once a year with a fork, about three inches deep. Much might be said on this subject, if we had time and room.
