The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-06-03
Newly Set Trees.

We offer a few suggestions to those
who may have set young trees last au.
tumu OF this spring, not as new, but be.
cause tho necessary care is apt to be over
looked or forgotten. There is a critical
period late in spring or carly in summer,
when trees often suffer severely and some.
times fatally, for want ofa little timely
attention.
Trees set out last autumn are sometimes
seriously injured by winds. which sway
about the stem and form u hole in the
earth by this motion. The air enters,
comes in contact with the roots, and such
trees frequently die. The remedy con.
sists in throwing the earth away from the
tree, applying fresh, mellow earth, press
ing it down firmly enough to protect the
young tree from the wind. Sometimes il
may be necessary TO throw up u mound
of earth as an additional protection for a
few weeks until it becomes established.
Where the roots have been cut short in
taking up, it may be necessary to secure
the stem by means of an inclined stake,
but stalking is always to be avoided if pos.
siblc. AS q general rule, liable to exccp.
tions, trees should never be so large when
removed as to require stalking and if
the roots have been carefully taken up
and well spread out in transplanting,the
will stand more securely, Sometimes it
happens that a tree having u large top
has retaired a small set OF roots, in which
case the head must be freely cut back so
as to render it lighter, aud to equalize top
and roots. But if the buds have already
started, or are partly expanded, the cut
ting back must be omitted, as nothing
checks a newly set tree more than prun-
ing too late in spring.
As hot weather approaches, all newly
transplanted trees require mulching. In
most cases, mellow earth forms the best
mulch and if a circle about the tree,
several feet in diameter, is kept clean and
well cultivated, the moisture in the soil
will be retained, and a fine growth will
be the result. An additional mulchiDg
will be necessary only on very dry soils,
or in an unusually dry season. Young
cherry trees form al exception, and they
should always be mulched before the hot
weather of summer. After having been
well set out and commenced growing, the
leaves often wither and the trees die un-
der hot suns. Several inches Of old straw
or grass, spread timely under the tree.
will save it. This mulching should never
be omitted with cherry trees the first
year.
Watering trees should never be EN-.
ployed except in extreme cases. The
practice destroys many more trees than
it saves. IF they arc well set and the
earth kept mellow, they will not need it.
A neighbor set out thirty cherry trees
and watered fifteen. Those not watered
all lived a large number Of the watered
trees died, in consequence Of the hard
crust which TIL watering formed on the
surface, while none reached the roots a
foot below. II water is ever applied to
a young tree, the surface earth should be
first shoveled away,so that it may at once
reach the roots, and the mellow earth
then replaced. But even here the inter-
hitting supply thus given is not as good
as the uniform moisture preserved by keep.
ing a mellow bed Of earth.
Young trees, and especially young pear
trees, sometimes remain dormant for sew
eral weeks after setting out, and then
gradually wither and die. They may be
easily restored if treated ip time, by cut
ting the head back sufficiently, encasine
it loosely in straw, and keeping the straw
wet. Before the leaves expand, the stem
and branches must he watered; a ter they
expand, the water must be given to the
roots, for if applied to them sooner, OIL
before the leaves pumping
5 through the stem, they will become water
t soaked and rot. Therefore water the
r stem only, while the buds are yet closet
and not the roots.
The preceding suggestions, it will bt
observed. apply chiefly to trees where
there has been defective management. Oh
. where the roots have been badly cut, Oh
the trees allowed to become dry, or where
| they have been imperfectly set out, o.
7 where the soil is too hard or has been al
! lowed to become SO. Much trouble will
be avoided by prevention, or by securing
: in the first place a good supply of -oot
in digging, and by setting out the tree
in well prepared soil, aud keeping it in
good mellow condition through the sum
: mer. With such management, we hav
z known young orchards of u thousan'
: trees or more, not only set out withou
the loss of a tree, but all have grown Wig
orously and made successful plantations
c Country Gentleman