The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-08-01
MISTAKES in Tree Planting.

Inexperienced orchardists, who pur-
shase their trees ut nurseries and pay
good prices for them, in their desire tn
get their moneys worth, prefer large,
handsome specimens. These are set
out with the full spread of their ample
heads, without further care. The own
.r has not particularly observed how
many of the roots have been taken up
in digging them; or remembered or
know the fact that nuserymen can not
secure more than small portion of the
roots belonging to '.goOd sized trees"
A long time is required for them to re-
cover from the check thus given them.
With smaller trees, a much larger pro-
portion of the roots may be easily
taken, and very little check occasioned
in their subsequent growth. Buying
these large trees instead of small and
thrifty ones is the first mistake.
The next error is in leaving the large
trees with their short roots to hold them
firmly without support, and the wind
the soil about the stems, admitting dry
ing air, and iniuring or killing them.
Proper stalking would prevent this
harm; but selecting small trees with
their ample roots would entirely obviate
stalking. The second error is the omis-
sion of this care.
But greater mistake is in planting
the large trees with their full branch
ing heads entire. The wind has ample
purchase on them, they have more
leaves than the roots can properly feed,
and they are accordingly stunted in
growth. This harm would be avoided
BY cutting back three-fourths or more
of the length of all the previous years
growth before the buds swell. Trees
set out side by side for experiment, q
part of them unpruned, and another
portion shortened back. have shown a
striking result; the latter sending out
new growth half foot or foot in
length the first year. and the former
only an inch or two. The omission of
cutting back is the third error.
The greatest mistake of all is in Civ
ing the young trees no cultivation; al
lowing the soil to become hard and
crusted, or covered with weeds and
grass. Some kinds of trees feel this
neglect more than others, -peaches the
most cherry trees the least; but with
all, this neglect is highly detrimental.
Many young and newly set trees die in
consequence, and those which survive
may grow two or three inches. while a
wide surface of well mellowed and clear
ground will often cause the trees to
make two or three feet of growth, if in
connection with other good treatment
Wa aD,,1I oil snc fon
proving the truth OF the preceding posi-
tons. The late DIR. Kennicott once in
formed US that in purchasing trees for
customers he always succeeded best
with those of second or third quality in
appearance and size, and at low prices,
because he could easily induce purchas-
ers to head them back freely, but they
could not be persuaded to spoil the
large, handsome heads Of the high
priced trees by pruning. The smaller
ones had, of course. the better roots, as
they were more easily taken up. We
have seen a young and newly-set peach
orchard, one portion Of which was neg
lected and the other we'll cultivated
in potatoes, none of the latter of which
grew less than foot and half, and
some nearly twice as much the first
summer, while none of the former made
shoots three inches long. A writer in
the Practical Farmer mentions several
instances where quite small trees were
transplanted in the same orchards,
along with fine six-foot trees, but in
every case the former outgrew and out
bore the latter in the course of q few
years Country Gentleman.