Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-07
NeWly-Set Trees.

iASSoe
We offer few suggestions to those who
may have set young trees last autumn or
this spring, not as new, but because the
necessary care is apt to be overlooked or
forgotten. There is critical period late
in spring or early in summer when trees
often suffer severely, and sometimes fatal
ly, for want of little timely attention.
Trees set out last autumn are some
times seriously injured by winds, which
sway about the stem and form hole in
the earth by this motion. The air enters,
comes in contact with the roots, and such
trees frequently die. The remedy consists
in throwing the earth away from the tree
and applying fresh, mellow earth, press
ing it down firmly enough to protect the
young trees from the wind. Sometimes it
may be necessary to throw up mound
Of earth as an additional protection for
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
possible. AS general rule, liable to eX-
ceptions, 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 they
will stand more securely. Sometimes it
happens that tree having a large top has
retained q small set of roots, in which
case the head must be freely cut back so
as to render it lighter, and to equalize
top and roots. But if the buds have al
ready started, or are partly expanded, the
cutting back must be omitted, as nothing
checks a neWlY-Set tree more than prun-
ing too late in spring.
Hardy trees, set out in autumn, would
always do better than spring-set trees, if
properly treated, the earth having become
well settled about the roots and an early
start given them. But it often happens
that all these advantages are lost by neg
lect In addition to the inquiry already
mentioned, from swaying about by the
wind, the hard crust which forms during
the several months they have stood is a
serious detriment and care should be
taken to break this crust and to produce a
fine mellow surface.
AS hot weather approaches, all newly
transplanted trees require mulching. In
most cases mellow earth forms the best
mulch; and if circle about the tree, sew
eral 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 mulching
will be necessary only on very dry soil or
in an unusually dry season. Young
cherry trees form an exception, and they
should always be mulched before the hot
weather of summer. After having been
we'll set out and commenced growing, the
leaves often wither and the trees die I'M
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 are 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; large number of the watered
trees died, in consequence Of the hard
crust which the watering formed on the
surface, while none Tea ched the roots a
foot below. If water ever applied to
young tree the sarfac earth should be
first shoveled away, so hat itmay 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
keeping 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 in time by cut
ting the head back sufficiently, incaslng it
loosely with straw, and keeping the straw
wet. Before the leaves expand the stem
and branches must be watered; after they
expand the water must be given to the
roots, for if applied to them sooner, or
before the leaves commence pumping
through the stem, they will become wa
ter-sOaked and rot. Therefore, water the
stem only while the buds are yet closed,
and not the roots.
The preceding suggestions, it will be
observed, apply chiefly to trees where
there has been defective management, or
where the roots have been badly cut, or
the trees allowed to become dry, or where
they have been imperfectly set out, or
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 roots
IN digging, and by setting out the tree in
weIl-prepared soil, and keeping it in good,
mellow condition through the summer.
With such management we have known
young orchards of a thousand trees or
more, not only set out without the loss of
tree, but all have gro--n vigorously and
maze successful CuLt6Uator
and Country Ge7atIemaan.