Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-12-06

Transplanting frees.
Fruit shade, and ornamental trees should be
planted out in southern climate as soon after
the leaves have fallen in the fall as possible.
Here we have no heavy frosts to throw tho
roots out of the ground, but the roots become
firmly imbedded by the winter rains. The
wounds caused by removal heal new fbres
commence to shoot and when spring comes,
the tree grows off as if to the amanner born"
In planting out peach trees, examine the roots
around the base, and see If there are none Of
the peach worm secreted there; they will breed
fast enough, without importing them from
abroad. Many a tree has been ruined by plan
ting with the worm just beginning at the root.
Whoever would succeed well in planting trees,
cannot bestow too much attention to the fol-
lowing plain and fixed principles Of vegetable
life
First, tree is feeding, living thing, with
all the appetite and wants of animate life.
Secondly, it must be fed, to insure its perfec-
ton, as much as though it breathed, and possess
ed living functions. Now when we understand
how the tree takes its food, that it is principally
through the ends of the minute rootlets, spon-
go1es, or mouths, we shall see the Importance
of preserving all of its thousands feeders, that
the tree may 60 on consuming its accustomed
food, without having to form the mouths be-
fore the food can be TAKEN Now, care havin.
been taken to take up the rootlets entire, 50
shosld there be care taken to plant them iust
as they were taken from the ground. We too
often see holes dug for trees which look more
like post holes than repository for the roots
Of living plant. The tree should never bc
planted deeper than it originally grew in tho
soil; the surface roots should have all the room,
with their laterals spread, that nature first gave
them and rich soil of good vegetable mould
be firmly imbedded all round the roots. Let
the tree be firmly planted at once. Whoever
makes the second effort to plant tree will,
nine times ont of ten, get his labor for his
pains. Animal manures, unless most thoroughly
decomposed, will not answer to feed trees
with.-Nature is good teacher; witness the
forest, how the massive trunk interlaces its
Thousand arms. and year after year drops its
foliage to enrich the earth with the mineral sub
concentrated from the atmosphere to be again
taken up by the eating roots, clothing the tree
in foliage, flowers and fruit. -
Our fruit trees are liable to be sun killed
they should be trained low, so that the shade
of the limbs will protect the trunk. We would
now plant out apples, pears, peaches, plums,
cherries, grapes, figs, rasberries, strawberries,
and all shade and ornamental trees.-Whenev.
er the ground is wet, plant-Figs, and such
tender fruit as are liable to be winter killed,
should be planted in the coolest and most ex-
posed situations This will prevent their put.
ting out too early, for it is seldom the winter
frost that Injuries the fig but the frost in the
spring, when the bud has begun to swell.
Large fig trees may be secured from the effects
of the frost BY spreading around the roots
good coat Of stable manure. Place the ma
nure around as the weather becomes severe,
and the warmth engendered by it will effectual-
ly protect it from every frost that we usually
have in this climate. A tree that has been long
out of the ground will be benefited by INNER
sing the whole tree in water twelve or twenty
four hours Examine the roots, and see it
there are any old wounds-if there are cut
them off with sharp knife, and remember that
before the tree can begin to take nourishment
from the substances in which il il embedded
new rootlets with mouths must be formed
from the mutilated roots you plant therefore,
take up with care, and p liant with skill and judg
ment. sEss