Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-09
Hints for Transpianting.

1. Many persons plant tree as they
would a post. The novice in planting
must consider that a tree is living. nicely
organized production, as certainly affected
by good treatment as an animal. Many
an orchard of trees, rudely thrust into the
ground, struggles nalf dozen years
against the adverse condition before it re-
covers.
>. In planting an orchard let the ground
be made mellow by repeated blowing For
a tree of moderate size the hole should be
dug three feet in diameter and twelve to
twenty inches deep. Turn over the soil
several times. In every instance the hole
must be large enough to admit ali the roots
easily without bending. Shorten and pare
smoothly with knife any bruised or
broken roots. Hold the tree upright while
| another person, making the earth fine,
gradually distributes it among the roots.
Shake the tree gently while the filling IS
going on. The main secret lies in care
fully filling in the mould, so that every
root, and even the smallest fibre, may meet
the soil; and to secure this let the Ope-
ratOr. with his hand, spread out the small
roots and nil in the earth nicely around
every one. Nine-tenths OF the deaths by
transplanting arise from the hOllOws left
among the roots of trees by a rapid and
careless mode of shoveling the earth
among the roots.
5. When the hole is two-thirds filled
pour in pail or two of water. This Will
settle the soil and fill up all vacuities that
remain. Wait uGtil the water hiss sunk
away and then fill up the hole, pressing
the earth moderately around the tree with
the foot. The moist earth, being covered
by the loose surface soil, will retain its
humidity for a long time. Indeed we
rarely find it necessary to water again
after planting in this way, and a little
muck or litter placed around the tree,
upon the newly moved soil, will render it
quite unnecessary. Frequent surface
watering is highly injurious, as it causes
the top of the soil to bake so hard as to
prevent the access of light and air, both
of which, in a certain degree, are abso-
lutelY necessary.
4. Avoid the prevalent error { so COM
mon and fatal in this country of plant
ing your trees too deep. They should not
be planted more than an inch deeper than
they stood before. If they are likely to
be thrown cut by the frost the first win
ter, heap little mound about the stem,
to be removed again in the spring.
3. If your soil is positively bad, remove
it from the holes and substitute a CARLOAD
or two of good garden mould. Do not for
get that plants must have food. Five
times the common growth may be real
lied by preparing holes SIX feet in diane
ter and twice the usual depth, enriching
and improving the soil by the plentiful
addition of good compost. Young trees
cannot be expected to thrive well in sod
land. When young orchard must be
kept in grass a circle should be kept dug
around each tree. But cultivation OF the
land will cause the trees to advance more
rapidly in i've years than they will in ten,
when it is allowed to remain in grass.
The above is copied from a catalogue
made by Charles Downing when he was a
nurseryman, in 1871. This is doubtless
the oldest catalogue in existence.