The National tribune., 1882-09-09

horsechestnut would probably require three
years to attain a similar height
To insure the best results upon final trans
planting, the young plants should be re-
moved from the seed bed when of sufficient
size for easy handling All those that have
made a growth of eighteen inches or over
the first year will be fit for removal at once.
Others may be allowed to remain two or more
years in the seed bed before removal. All OF
the oaks hickories, the tulip tree, the wal
nuts, the beech, and the sugar and red ma
pies should not be allowed to make more
than two years growth before removal into
nursery rows, where they may remain for
year or two, after which they may be trans
planted to the permanent locations with but
little risk of failure from the operation.
Where it is intended to plant thickets, or
close belts of trees for the purpose of shelter
ing exposed fields or buildings of any kind,
and the land can be spared for the purpose, the
young plants may be removed at once from
the seed drills to their permanent locations
and set out in rows drawn from three to
four feet apart, the latter distance the best,
to admit of thorough culture with the
horse-cultivator.
These rows may be planted thicl1ly, say
from ten inches to sixteen inches apart thus
using them as nursery rows, and after two
years growth the rows can be thinned out,
and new plantations made with the extra
plants which will then be in the best posi-
BILE nursery condition for removal.
Before planting, the ground should be
deeply plowed and broken up, the deeper
the better, SO that the roots may descend
and thus be less liable to suffer from dry
weather the first summer after planting.
To grow good trees requires as much
labor as to grow good corn at no time
should weeds be allowed to interfere with
the crop; in few years the trees will furnish
under them.
When trees are planted for the sake of
their timber, a thorough, systematic order of
procedure is adopted. Suppose, for exam
pie, it is contemplated to raise forest of
walnut trees, and that it has been decided to
plant them in rows thirty feet apart in
every direction. Then the intervening
spaces will be filled in with other trees until
they stand, say three feet, or three feet by
six feet apart. Exactly in the centre be-
tween each walnut tree an ash tree is set
out, and again between these and the wal
nuts place rapid growing poplar, and fill
up the intermediate spaces with willows or
any other kind of tree which can be utilized
when in a young state. This is an exam
pie of arrangement in planting which may
or may not be the best to adopt, but
it illustrates the principle which is to
plant thickly and thin out as growth pro-
crosses, SO that rapid growing plants will
form shelter and act as nurses to the more
slow growing and more valuable trees.
Even if it is desired to grow only one kind
of tree, it will, in many cases at least, be
profitable to plant them thick to begin with.
For example, the catalpa and Usage orange
are both valuable timber trees, but inclined
to branch low, and form rather crooked
stems; but when planted thick they
can be drawn up into clean, tall stems,
attention being given to thinning them
out judiciously as they progress in size.
Any tree that inclines to grow crooked
or become stunted, should be cut off on a
level with the ground. One or more shoots
will then proceed from the stump, the best of
which should be selected for the future tree,
all Others taken of. A tall, straight growth
will thus be insured.