Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-04-20
STREET SHADE TREES.

We would briefly remind those VINO can
feel the difference between bare lines OF
buildings, and dry, glaring, and dusty streets
on the one hand,-and the softness, luxuri-
ance, the interminable beauty of masses OF
green foliage, and the refreshing shade OF
our finest forest trees planted in villages and
by road-sides, on the other,-we would re-
mind these that the time has now come for
action-no delay must be made, if another
whole year is too valuable to be lost.
Most of the directions, given in the pre-
ceding article on transplanting fruit trees, are
equally applicable TO shade trees.-But there
i. one all essential part of the work, without
which failure is about as certain as the course
OF water down hill, and that is, the trees af-
ter being set out must be carefully protected
from the rubbing of street animals. We
have seen trees five inches through, which
had been moved with nearly ton of earth
on the roots, all destroyed the second year by
the rubbing of pigs and cattle. The best,
most substantial, and most durable protection
consists, OF three posts in the form OF an equl-
ateral triangle, enclosing the tree, with hori-
zontal cross pieces, or boards securely nailed
to the posts. This frame will besides prevent
those who think a tree isa very handy object
10 hitch horse to, spelling it by allowing
the horse 10 gnaw the bark. "You will be
exceedingly vexed," says late writer, in
alusion TO such disaster, "but will be con-
solcd by the assurance that the owner never
knew his horse TO do so beforehand you will
wish him and his horse at - the end Of
their journeym
A few brief directions for planting shade
trees, may be summoned up as follows
l. Dig the hole before the tree is taken up,
for being large, its roots cannot be so easily
protected from dying as smaller tree, and
it should therefore be out of the ground as
short period as possible.
2. If the trees are two or three inches in
diameter, the holes must not be less than six
feet in diameter, and foot and a-half deep,
and the roots OF the tree taken up, of nearly
corresponding size.
g. Cut round the tree two and a-half or
three feet from the stem, and lift it out with
out tearing the roots or bruising the stem
not after the recommendation published some
years ago, as uery careful mode of removing
acutting the roots with an axe, and dragging
the trees out with yoke of oxen"
A.. Cut off or thin out one-half or three.
fourlhs Of the top having an eye 10 the fu-
ture shape of the tree. This lessons the
number o: leaves, the draught is less severe
on the roots, the fewer shoots grow more ra
pidly and the wind has less power on the tree.
5. Plant the tree no deeper than before :
as some one quantity remarks, mature has at
tended TO the growing oftrees some six thou
sand years, and cannot in this particular be
improved upon
g. As soon as the tree is set, then imme-
diately erect the tripod protection, already
described.
7. Cover the ground several inches deep
with litter, in a circle six feet in diameter
The soil cannot be easily cultivated, and this
mulching is the best substitute.
Trees treated according 10 these rules, will
begin TO grow Immediately, and will form
handsome, rich, dense masses of foliage, in
less time than those which are carelessly
torn from the earth and hastily planted like
fence-post, can recover from the violence
which they have received. 1t is better to
plant ten trees well, than twenty or thirty
badly.
Trees which have grown in the open
ground are harder and far better than those
taken from the forest. Thick woods afford
almost the protection of green house; ant
trees removed from them and set out in oper
air often perish solely in consequence of the
tenderness. Those from borders of swamp
are often better than those from upland, The
soft mucky soil more perfectly admitting The
entire removal Of the roots. The dissimilari
ty Of soil where they are placed, rarely proves
of any de,rment As a general rule, sucl
trees have succeeded much the best with us
This is also, particularly the ease with eusr
greens, which always need large cake o
earth to be removed entire upon the roots
This cake should always be large enough l.
hold the tree stiff against the wind withou
any shake.-Hhen this has been done, ace haU
nspsr lost a single evergreen tree by transplant
ing, In the borders of swamps, where tn
muck is shallow on hard-pan, the roofs @
evergreen trees usually form a thick mat @
roots, all near the surface cutting round on
with spade, allows the tree 10 be taken q
with great ease, the whole mass of the root
and muck pssling readily off from the hard
pan-Caltipator,