The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-02-28
The Forest Baby.

There arc "babes in the woods
which are both beautiful and oil value 70
those who are seeking the best invest
ment of time and money in transplaht-
ing trees. ..,.
Autumn is better than spring time
for tho usual methods Of transplanting,
but We have found more excellent
way than either Of these times ahordS'
All through the woods, and under inc
trees on the edges Of the forests ana
along the roadside, little forest babies
or seedlings, are springingup. They are
cosied away under parent elm ana
naples, linden and ash trees. any
rainy day from the first Of June I'll on
into September is good time to sciccs
these sylvan seedlings, ana SET thcin
where You wish them permanently 10
stand. Take an ash-pan and trans
planting trowel, with an old newspaper
or two In your pocket out under some
hard maple Of exceptionally inc form
and size; one il may be which has been
admired for its beauty. You pick out
as many as you want Of that KIND.
Take up plenty Of earth with each, and
wrap enough paper around the earth to
keep il in place. The heads OF the ma.
pie forest babies are from two TO four
inches high, and peep cunningly ont Of
their nest in the ash-pan. They arc put
snugly in among their cousins OF other
desired varieties, and in an hour or less
YOU return with score ormOrc precious
prizes. II may be well to set each one
in the ground, with the paper still
around the roots and earth. The paper
unless there is more Of il than il
ncces,ary-will do no harm if left on,
and taking it OF might dispuce the soil
around the tiny rOOtlcts. We want Of
course TO remove the forest baby from
its old home TO its new one, without its
knowing IL has been moved Thus
with the expenditure Of less time and
money than is needed to transplant a
tree ten feet high, twenty or more are
set. In ten years, the two inch forest
baby will be larger than its neighhor
which was ten or twelve feet tall, and
set. il may be, some weeks or months
earlier. The baby, during the lie OF
both, will outgrOw the other. 1t will
also continue 10 grow long after the
other has reached maturity; rs it never
had one bnndredlh part The root dis
turbance which has been suffered by
the other.
No more skill or work than is needed
10 transplant cabbagcs Is required Tor
this treatment Of Forest babies.
A large proportion Of the trees usual
~ transplanted, except by those con,id.
erably skilled in such work. fail to
grow. Therefore those unsNillcd sci.
dom even try. This method when ii
becomes known will largely multiply
the number Of those who engage in
transplanting as well as increase the re
suits Of given amount OF work pei
capita in this department Of silya5ult
urc.
Those engaged in the good work o
inaugurating cc.planling days in the
several States may perhaps do well tC
consider these suggestions.
A few hours judiciously spent in thi.
kind Of baby farming may, II dozen
years thereafter, thus transform some
previously msightly home in town OF
in country into one worth scycrm hun.
drcd dollars more than it would other.
wise have been worth. All this simply
by identifying it and so adding to its
actual salable value. Less than ono
dollars worth of time rainy days may
have been the only Investment required
10 secure this result -Gco. liay POwcR
Ch0rHaa Imcricm Institute FOrcS
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