Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-04-30
The Planting Of Trees.

At this season of the year, whether on
the farm or in the garden, there is some
chance that trees will have to be planted :;
and it may serve a useful purpose if we
put together a few lines, giving what is
regarded by practical men as the most
modern view of the best way of going
about the task so as to insure the best
success.
Of course, when trouble comes from
transplanted trees, it begins with the
roots. No matter how carefully a tree
may be dug, some of the roots will get in
jured and if to this is added loss to roots
by drying, the tree has nothing to depend
on. 1t is not, therefore, enough to have a
tree carefully dug, but the greatest care
should be used to have the roots kept
damp after they are dug. When these
conditions are cared for trees may be
sent a thousand miles, and be Just as
good, though a couple of weeks out of the
ground, as if fresh taken up. As soon as
they are dug, when sending these long
distances, they must be put into wet moss
or shavings-anything that will keep
moist, and yet not rot and make heat; in
this way are boxed trees kept fresh.
These trees often have a much better
chance than trees which are obtained
near home. A man goes to the nursery
with his own team, because in this way
he saves the cost Of packing boxes and
railroad charges, and the trees are dug
and placed on the wagon, with the roots
drying in the wind for perhaps half a
day before they get planted; and of course
the smallest roots get so much injured
that the tree has difficulty in growing in
consequence. When they are packed in
boxes the plants are taken at once from
the boxes to the ground, and this is why
they generally live so well.
But with the greatest care there will be
some injury to the roots, and the only way
to make up for this is by pruning the tops
to correspond. 1t is a good rule always
TO cut away some of the branches when a
tree is transplaBted, no matter how good
the roots appear to be. For though the
tree may have its roots apparently in good
condition, and the tree grow tolerably
we'll, it will grow much better if the
branches are cut back as they should be-
In the editorial cores pOndence of the
Weekly Press last year we noted the fact
that at Pueblo, in Colorado, there had been
set out ten thousand trees along the new
roads laid out about that town. The
country is so dry that in many cases moth
ing can be raised without irrigation: and
vet hardly one in hundred of these trees
had failed to grow. The secret was the
severe pruning which they all received.
Every side branch had been cut away.
and the whole plantation of street trees
miles in length, looked like a huge set
ting of bean poles. So we noticed in
MANY places in the West. About Indian.
apolis large quantities of the sugar berry
are set out for shade trees. These are gen
erallv obtained from the woods. and are
cut back like the others we have named.
so that there is nothing left but the main
stem, and only the half perhaps of this,
for that is also shortened; and thew also
do generally very well.
This pruning attended to there is still
the regular planting work to be looked
after. The holes need not be large, Just
as wide as the roots will do, nor need the
holes be very deep. Many trees are ru-
med by deep planting. 1t may be that
some trees are lost by being set too shal-
low; but this does not happen to one in a
thousand. a tree ought not to be set any
deeper than it will hold itself up well
when planted; and in some cases it is
better to stake than to plant deep. if a
tree will not hold itself up well without.
Very much OF the steadiness of q tree af.
ter planting depends on the ground be-
ing we'll packed about the roots in the on.
Grafton. In general the earth is filed in and
trod here and there but this is not enough.
One should have a hammer, and as fast as
a few shovelfuls of earth are placed in
over the roots it should be rammed
firmly about them. One need not fear
bruising the roots. They do not get