The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-02-18
Rules for Selecting Trees from the
Nursery.

Imvisiting nurseries, we often no
tice persons who are purchasing fruit
trees, making their selection of such
as they think, are the best specimens
of the kinds sought, and in general
the rules by which both fruit and Or
namental trees should be selected
from the nursery rows; but the error
most generally committed, is in chOos-
ing large specimens, which cost much
more than they are worth. Were we
about to plant an orchard of choice
fruit. the ages of the trees purchased
by us would be: Apples two years,
pears two years, peaches one year,
cherries one OF two years, plums two
years-all from tic graft or bud. RI
Their than have trees Older than two
years, We would prefer them one year,
and for the following reasons:
l. Such small plants are easily ia
ken up with nearly all their small
tibruus roots. They have no large
woody roots that are sure to be cut
through in the act of digging, and
from the ends of which no small root
lets will generally spring, unavoidably
leaving a large amount of dead root
wood, which is positive injury.
2. Small trees receive less check in
being transplanted, and in three for
four years, equal, if not exceed in size,
older ones. They also bear in about
the same period, while they are almost
always far more thrifty.
3. Trees that have been transplant
ed WI hen small, are not liable to dis
ease. When large tree is transplant
ted, the growth for that season is al
ways very small, and the bark pre-
sents dry unhealty appearance. The
tree i, liable to become bark-bOund,
especially with cherries, and the hard
pruning necessary leaves. a great
amount of dead matter, in the tree,
that may be concealed by new layers
of wood, but still remains dead matter.
five could plant seeds of the trees
we desired, in the places where we
wanted them to form an orchard, such
trees would be more healty, and much
longer-iyed, than .transplanting trees
can be but this is condition of things
not easily attained. We should, there
fore, adopt the nearest approach to it,
and set out young, thrifty plants, with
all their fibrOus roots untrimmcd, that
viii adapt themselves to the condi-
lions in which they are paced, and |
that will, in course of time, form a |
valuable orchard. Gould we take up |
large trees with their roots, and ball |
of earth with each tree, then such trees
would not meet with d cheek, and a
gain of time would be the result; but
this is seldom the case, and the better
course is toplantout small specimens.
These rules apply also to Ornamcn-
tai trees and shrubs. We have good
example of this before us. About II
years ago, a large evergreen was trans
planted by atfriend of ours into his
garden. II was about twelve feet high
and great care was taken of it. AT
the same time we set out small one,
about eighteen inches in hight. Now,
what do you think is the difference
between the two trees at the present
time The large tee has grown
abont four feet. The small one Is 70
feet high. The large one has become
the small, and the small the large. I
But this is an extreme case, and the
like does not always occur. Still it is
good illustration of the imprudence !
of selecting large trees.-Ecchange.