Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-16
horticultural Societies and Tree
Planting.

~shAsSAAASs
We present the following extracts
from an address delivered by Mr..
N. Dinner, one of the most enter
prising horticulturists Of Southern
Ohio, and the President Of the
Montgomery County Horticultural
Society:
The plan Of holding meetings OF
horticultural societies at members
houses is becoming general; in fact,
this is the only way that societies
can be well sustained, and it is the
only way that they can do much
good. Most of us devote too much
of our time to money making. We
seem to think that making money is
all we live for. These social gath
erings of husbands, wives, sons and
daughters, once each month, l know
have good effect on those that at
tend. We meet together and for
time forget business, devote the day
to recreation, discuss topics OH hor-
ticultural and kindred subjects, and
enjoy ourselves in conversation and
otherwise. We meet to spend one
day in each month to inform our
selves and have a good time gener-
ally. You may say what is the use
Of telling you what you know as
we'll as | do? That is no doubt
true, but there are others that arc
not Of the fold; these / want to
bring in also, SO that they may en-
Joy themselves with us.
The subject of tree planting,
shade and forest trees, is one that
is at this time attracting great
deal of attention. 1t is evident to
the observing, that the time is COM
ing, and, too, much sooner than
many suppose, when the planting of
forests will be practiced as we now
plant orchards; however, my object
in bringing up this subject, is prin
cipally for the purpose Of encourag
ing the planting Of shade trees in
cities and villages, and also along
viz III hNay D.
One of the things that attracts the
attention Of Americans travelling in
Europe is the roads through the
country planted on both sides with
fruit or forest trees, may say with
out exaggeration, for hundreds of
miles. Those that have seen this
will require no strong argument to
convince them of the great beauty
it adds to the country where it is
common.
Trees ought not to be planted out
side, but within ard near the fence,
unless the roads are very wide.
The planting of trees along the
sidewalks of this city is pretty gen.
eral, but how painful to me it is to
see them planted, as they are-too
close by half. 1t seems as if many
an individual owning a lot of twen-
ty-five or thirty feet front, thinks it
his duty to plant as many trees in
front of his lot as his neighbor,
whose lot is one hundred or more
feet front. The effect Of such close
planting is, that your trees being
planted too close, never grow well,
and in few years, if they grow at
all, grow within one another, form
ing sort of neglected hedge. Then,
instead of cutting down every other
tree, as should be done, they COM
mence to cut away at the tops, slash
ing off limb after limb, without re-
gard to form or the future welfare
of the tree.
Then, again, most ofpeople when
wishing to trim the lower branches
off their trees when interfering with
the passage of the light of street
lamps, cut them off, leaving a stump
which usually dies and rots, which
rot frequently extends to the heart
of the tree, and often is the case of
its premature death. Whenever it
becomes necessary to cut off any
limb from either fruit or shade
trees, let it be large or small, cut it
off as near the trunk as is possible;
cut it off smooth; then if you can,
paint over the wound to prevent it
from cracking, and keep out the
rain; in a year or two, the bark will
have grown over, leaving smooth
trunk, with scarcely mark to show
where once there was limb.
When planting tree of any kind
dig your holes not less than three
feet across, and two feet deep, part
ly fill up the hole with good soil,
then put in your tree, little though
not much deeper than they were in
the ground when taken up; spead
out the dirt (keeping your tree erect) !;
then, when you are done, press the
soil with the foot. Shade trees
should be protected with n box as
soon as they are planted. Trees
planted in this way will most inva-
riably grow and. do well, and be a
source of pleasure and comfort not
only to the owner, but to the great
public. l love to look at hand
some tree, like to walk in its shade,
but it pains me to see so many mis-
takes made, which | hope will in
time be rcmedied.