The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-08-20
a ohap,.r on Erergre.n..-sammer Planting.

/ A Chapter on Evergreens-summer Planting.
DR.. j. A. Kennicott, known to all hor-
ticultural readers as the "0ld Doctor"
furnishes the Prairie Farmer with the
following chapter on eyergreens.:. rar
sour people of the prairies are begin
ming to show their good taste. by planting
evergreen trees, and their good sense by
selecting living specimens from the nur-
sery, instead of dead ones on the street
or from pedlar's wagons. OF the former,
nearly all grow right along, when small,
and when we'll dug and properly handled
do well enough when quite large; while,
on the contrary, even if alire, the large
specimens hawked about are often lean
and naked, and seldom give much salts
faction without more skillful treatment,
for several years, than such trees are apt
to receive at the hands Of any but we'll
informed amateurs orprofessional nursery
men. have occasionally seen remMba-
bly, fine specimens of our white pine, Of
large size, that had been taken directly
from open woods borders but, as rule,
small trees only should be sought, in their
native habitat. And then, it must be
confessed that some foreign species are
superior to similar natives, for prairie
plantations. OF these, the Norway spruce
and Austrian pine, for all soils, and the
Scotch pine for all but the most sandy,
may be set down as cheap, perfectly har-
dy-unaltered by the severest weather.
Of good and improving form, and well
calculated to give abundant and ever in
creasing satisfaction. OF our natives, the
Hemlock-when perfect in form and
ieathering-is pre-eminentiy beautiful,
and the most graceful of evergreens.
There is no hardy species to compare with
it. Even as far south as Washington,
where the Deodar barely suruires, l saw
large Hemlocks, in the Smithsonian
grounds, that had not suffered tenth
part as much from the extreme heat, as
the Deodars had from the frosts Of winter;
and a burning sun seems to be the only
serious hindrance to the free introduction
of this most desirable tree, in the prairie
region Of Illinois. During the last month
of June, it is true, the new growth on our
Hemlocks was badly scorched by frost
and so were many of the leading shoots,
and much tender side growth of the very
hardy Norway spruce-which never turns
feather, from either heat or cold, after
the new wood gets little matured. For
general planting. consider our white pine
(Piuus strobus) the most available native.
And if properly cut back-as the henalock
always must be-the white pine will keep
its base on the earth, and grow up dense
pyramid little stiff and formal, it is
true. but only second to the hemlock in
lightness and beauty and incomparably
preferable to that most fashionable OF all
natives, the Balsam Fir, which shows old
age at twenty, and is dingy, decaying
eye-sore at forty /; though like some other
| fashionable Americans I could name, so
very lovely in its growing youth. And
our red cedars-Juniperus Virglpiana-is
in the same category and little toe
tender, fer north, and too stiff, in outline
everywhere.
4 "The American Spruces are neat and
hardy pyramidal trees, Of rather slow
growth, however, to suit our American
notions, and yet much preferable to the
more rapid growing Balsams. y
"Closely cut back, while young, so a:
to secure density of foliage and proper
form, the American Arbor Vita makes {
desirable tree but its proper place is ii
the belt, or continuous screen, where j
can be easily kept in shape, within prope
bounds. 1t is the cheapest of all ever
greens, though it does not retain its colo
in winter, like the more expensive foreigl
SORT, known as Siberian Arbor Vita. {
/ "But believe summer planting was t.
, form pars of this chapter. Theory ant
occasional practice have long been ad
: duced in favor of removing evergreens il
= summer; but without making the prac
tice anything like SO general. as, perhaps
it should be; and, in truth, / never trie'
it till last August, when taking advantag
5 of rainy day, when hay-making wa
, Suspended, we set all hands at work dig
: giug and resetting some extra large Scotc
0 pines and Norway spruces-none c
s which failed land at this writing all hav
n made better seasons growth than eve
e saw, the first year, on trees Of the sam
: size, transplanted in spring.
!. "The theory Of summer planting
based, in part, on the sound principl
s that it is always best, for the tree, TO tram
e plant when the earth Is warm, and vegt
9 tation active; provided you can, withol
: too much mutilation, bring transpiratic
4 down to the point Of supply, by the root
E so recently suffering violent removal
!. new earth, and very often sn actual loi
,. in volume.
# "Now, in growing deciduous trees, tn
b is effected by cutting in the top, or r
!. moving, as with berbaceous plants, near
j. all the foliage. But with evergreens tn
cannot be done, and 90, we seek tim
4 early enough in the season, to enable Il
If roots to repair damages before winter
h but SO late, that the species has finish
q It's seasons gro,oth, and is in a state
/. comparative rest. Aud from the midd
i. Of August to the middle of Septembt
s. these conditions obtain, with most, il n
70 all of our evergreens-and both theo
and fact point to that as the second, II n
as the first best time to transplant them. a
4. that fear is, the gfeater risk of tran
D. portdtion then though the best conced'
d. time-well into the month of May
is often open to the same objection, and
Mt have heard Of the heating Of sever
ne boxes of evergreens sent from our M
ID sery in the early part Of last May. B
10 when the plantation is only days d
US lance from the nursery, proper packir
We in reference to this danger, will entire
to obviate it; and selecting cool tin
,n and packing the tops airy and cool "
ed enable US to send trees hundreds Of mil
in with reasonable safety; and there is G
n tainly considerable gain, in summer plal
re ing, over that Of spring, in the case
lis evergreens Of large size, at least, and
h. hope to see the practice common one
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