orchard, being nearly
destitute of fibrous roots. But large trees, even of bearing size, when
transplanted in the orchard, do quite as well as small ones, provided
they have been several times transplanted in the nursery. This produces
many fibrous roots, upon which the health and life of the tree depend.

In many regions, great care must be taken to prevent destruction of
young trees by snow-drifts. This is done by selecting locations, and by
constructing or removing fences, to allow the snow to blow off; treading
it down as it falls is also very useful, both in protecting the trees
from breaking down by the settling of drifts in a thaw, and from the
depredations of mice under the snow.

Trees should be taken up from the nursery with the least possible injury
to the roots. Do not leave them exposed to the air for an hour, not even
in a cloudy day. It is an easy matter to cover the roots with mats,
straw, or earth. Protect also from frosts; many trees are ruined by
exposure to air and frost, of which the nurseryman is very careful in
all other respects. For transportation, they should be closely packed in
moist straw, and wound in straw or mats, firmly tied and kept moist.
Trees, cared for and packed in this way, may be transported thousands of
miles, and kept for two months, without injury.

NUTS.

More attention to the cultivation of nuts, would add materially to our
domestic luxuries. There are so many nuts in market, that are the
spontaneous productions of other countries, or raised where labor is
cheap, that we can not afford to raise them as an article of commerce.
But a few trees of the various kinds, would be a great addition to every
country residence. We could always be certain that our nuts were fresh
and good. A small piece of ground devoted to nuts, and occupied by
fowls, would be pleasant and profitable. English walnuts do well here.
We have varieties of hickory nuts, native in this country, which, to our
taste, are not surpassed by any other. Chestnuts are easily grown here
(see our directions elsewhere in this volume). Butternuts, filberts,
peanuts (growing in the ground like potatoes), and even our little
forest beechnuts, are easily raised.

The dwarf chestnut of the Middle and Southern states is decidedly
ornamental in a fruit garden. Its qualities are in all respects like the
common chestnut, only the fruit is but half the size, and the tree grows
from five to ten feet high. In all our landsc