The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-09-20
M;he Eattt.
THEORY OF TREE PLANTING.

The season for Fall planting of orch
ard and shade trees will soon be at
hand. By planting in the Fall, with
ordinary care and attention to the re-
quirements of the trees, this work may
be done with perfect safety and the
greatest success. There is, at this sea-
son, more leisure for careful planting
than in the spring, when work is hurried,
and the trees being fresh dug and in a
vigorous condition, become well-settled
in their new homes before the growing
season of Spring commences. The fol-
lowing remarks from the GARDENERS
MONTHLY are Instructive:
From everything we see and read it
is clear the great part played by evapo-
ration in successful tree-planting is not
generally understood, yet on this one
thing alone rests failure or success. 1t
makes no difference whether it be Win
ter or Summer, there is always moisture
escapeing In Winter it is from the
stems and branchlets, and in Summer
from these and the leaves. All this
continuous loss of moisture must be i'm
mediately made good by root action, or
the plant is lost, or the part of the plant
which suffers most goes first. 1t is a
popular notion that there is no evapora-
ton in Winter This is fatal mistake.
There is not near as much as in Sum-
mer, but still quite as much in proper
ton to the activity of the roots.
Now in transplanting trees there is
but one absolute cause of failure, and
that is that the moisture escapes faster
than the roots can supply it, and there
fore in transplanting everything we do
should be for the encouragement ofrapid
root growth, or for the prevention of
rapid evaporation, until the roots grow.
Of course there are incidental causes
of failure. If a tree be badly dug, and
half the roots cut away that ought to be
on it, it has worse chance for its life
than if properly dug. ORR the roots be
allowed to dry, the smaller roots are in
jured, and only the thicker ones are left
to carry on the water work. Still it all
amounts to the one thing, which is the
moisture dries out of the branches faster
than the roots can supply it.
We know how this is in making cut.
tings, and it is equally true of tree
We take piece of stem without roots,
but as we know it will wither, we put
it in damp greenhouse, or even cover
it with bell glass. If we did not it
would dry up before the roots appeared.
So in outdoor cuttings. If we take a
large willow branch and plant it just as
it comes from the tree, it will likely die.
The sap is escaping from all the small
branches, and there are no roots vet to
make good the waste. We cannot put
a bell glass over large willow branch
If we could it would check the evapora.
ton, and perhaps there would be strong
err and better roots for all this top
But not being able to do this, we do the
same thing in another way We cut
away all the small branches, leaving
nothing but stake or post, and then
it sprouts out like grass on warm Sum
mer's day. Though it has no roots at
all, vet such willow stake grows bet
ter than Il willow tree with all its roots
and the numerous twiggv branchlets
left on.
This is the lesson for the tree planter
A tree may, and often does, grow well
without any pruning of its tops; but as
there is always some injury to its roots
whereby they are prevented from i'm
mediatelv or fully supplying evapora-
ton, shortening is always beneficial
and this cutting back-sometimes 10
bare poles should always be proper
tionate to the apparent injury done to
the roots, or according to the amount OF
cold, dry Wintry wind, Or warm, hot
Spring weather that the plant is liable
to encounter.
1t will thus he seen that there is a
greater risk in Winter from Fall plant
ing, than in the Spring season from
planting at that time, ift the trees happen
to have large heads with numerous
branches; but if this matter of evapora.
ton be fully understood, and the tree
pruned according to the season, there is
no more risk at one season than at
another"