The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-22
Setting Large and Small Trees.

A resident of one of our large villages,
who had come into possession of tine
lot which he wished to plant, but who
ha had little experience with tree cult
ure, called on a neighbOring nursery
man to make purchases. He wanted
nothing but large trees-twO inches in
diameter if he could find them, and ten
feet high He cared much less for the
kind than for the size-anything which
was gigantic. early or late, fruit or orna-
mental, was eagerly taken. The nur-
seryman frankly gave his opinion that
trees Of moderate size would be better,
but the purchaser quickly replied: u
want big trees now may not live for
the small ones to grow up" He carried
O1 a large load of monsters In few
years lie came again to make additional
purchases. The nUrseryman at once
remarked Il su pose you want all the
largest trees you can get think | can
supply YOU" MOI no" exclaimed
the purchaser, 1--WE had enough of big
trees! No more for me, Those l got of
you have scarcely grown any since. and
the smaller ones have OvertaEen them,
and they are ever so much handsomer
and more thlifty-give me small, Wig
OrOus trees. > This incident tells the
whole story, and should be remembered
ears ago, Sir Henry Stewart made
plantation of large trees in the moist
climate Of Scotland, but they made lit
tie growth and had a sickly appearance.
1t was then that LOudOn, with his long
and extensive experience as a landscape
gardener, Tered to make public test
with any one who would try large trees,
he him elf planting small and thrifty
ones with full roots, in rich, deeply
trenched, and well-cultivated ground,
with the confident assurance that in a
| given number of years he would show
| trees not only larger but UNNECESSARILY
! finer in appearance.
The practical hint to be derived from
/ these facts at present, by those who
made purchases of large trees last fall,
whether already planted or heeled in
/ for next spring, is to give them the ex-
! ira care which they require, by spread
/ ing all the roots which they have, equal
| ly on different sides when they are set,
! filling in all the interhtices among them
with tine earth COmpactly trOdden or
/ beaten; brac ng the trees firmly against
/ the wind by stalking; and before the
/ buds swell in spring cutting back all the
annual shoots to tighten the heads
! Taking up wide circle of uniniured
roots is vitality important, but this may
| have been omitted Mellow culture
| through the summer is absolutely es-
! sentiaL. With all this care, the trees
may in a year or two recover from the
| check they have met with in removal
| Put small trees, with the abundant
roots which are easily taken up with
! them, will need no stalking, and with
subseJJ cut care and the thorough cult
walton of the soil, they will spring up
and grow with scarcely a single season 5
check in growth. Small trees cost less,
are more easily dug, have better roots,
are more easily transplanted, are not
whipped about by the wind, and are
more easily trained into the desired
form. If purchased at a distant nur-
sery, the freight i'll Is more easily paid
I--Coa1try Gentleman