Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-11-15
Planting and Care Of Fruit And
Ornamental Trees.


Notwithstanding the repeated lessons
that have been given for the planting and
subsequent treatment Of trees in the gar
den and in the orchard, we are pained in
passing through almost every portion of
the country to witness the unpardonable
neglect, and the consequent loss of thou
sands of newly planted trees for the want
of little foresight and care. So much
has already been said upon the subject of
properly planting trees that we shall not
here repeat it; but in view ofthe immense
number of trees that have died of the last
springs planting, Of the starved, sickIy
and discouraging appearance of thou.
sands of others that still retain some signs
of life, we will offer word of admonition
and advice, although now too late to be of
benefit the present season, but from the
experience of the past re offer it as u
guide for the future.
In the first place, trees, when reset from
the nursery, should have all the top bran.
ches cut back, so as to restore and equili.
brium between the demand of moisture
by the leaves and branches, and the sup
ply from the clouds. It is a fact clearly
established by vegetable psychologists,
that every tree in vigorous and healthy
condition gives off daily through its leaves
large amount of moisture, and this
moisture is furnished to the leaves from
the earth through the roofs. in removing
a tree from the nursery, not only many Of
the small fibrous roots, the terminal ends
of which, in a healthy state, are the
mouths through which this moisture is
received, are either barked or destroyed,
but many of the larger roots are unneces-
sarily and carelessly, we had like to have
said voluntarily, cut off and lost, so that
the supply of juices to the leaves and BRAN
ches Of the tree is exceedingly meagre
and limited. Now, unless the branches
are shortened, more or less, according to
the condition of the roots, say to within
three or four inches of the base of the last
seasons growths the quantity of moisture
given offfrom the newly expanding leaves
will be so much greater than the supply
afforded by the mutilated roots that the
vital forces of the tree become rapidly
exhausted and it fingers and finally dies.
But what too frequently tends much to
hasten this result is the want Of properly
pulverizing the ground and digging the
holes for the trees of sufficient size, and
the application of rich and mellow soil to
the roots. When trees have been newly
planted in the way they generally are, and
when followed by a dry season, like the
present, they are slow in starting to grow,
and soon present sickly, dying appear
ance, then the owner becomes alarmed
and at once attempts to remedy the evil
by giving each tree an occasional bucket
of water, perhaps directly from tho well;
this settles the earth compactly around the
roots and stem OF the tree, which, under
the influence of the wind and the following
days sun, becomes baked hard and only
increases the evils it was intended to rem
edy.
A tree well pruned and properly planted
in good season, in a well preparped and
mellow soil with a covering four inches
in depth of old straw, leaves. sawdust or
tan bark, for distance Of four feet around
It, viii never require watering, and in the
driest seasons, ninety-nine out of every
hundred trees so treated may be expected
to live and flourish. This is an exceeding.
II simply matter and only requires to be
remembered and erActissd TO gavs 70 the