The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-05
How to Plant a Tree.

How to Plant Tree.
D. Redmond, a former editor of the
Southern CuItiuator, gives some valuable
suggestions in that journal on tree plant
ing. The lest time, he says, for planting
all hardy trees in mild climates is after the
first killing frosts-November and Decem-
Der being the months i'll which the opera
tion is most successfully performed. Trans
nlanted at this time, they throw out small
abers from the roots during the winter, and
start with the opening season into healthy
Growth. Still, they can safely be set out at
ony period from the first heavy frost until
fine buds swell, but if an early period within
these bounds be selected for planting, the
more vigorous will be the growth of the
tree-unless it be like the fig, liable to be in
ilred by the severity of the winter, or as
some evergreens, to be blown about and
loosened at the roots by the winter gales. If
nlanting cannot be done before Christmas
all trees do better late in February than If
PLANTED in the severe cold of mid-winter.
When you have the ground properly pre-
pared, and the holes dug, take up the tree
with care, not cutting in the roots with the
spade too near the trunk. To do this, dig
around the tree, at a distance more or less
according to its size, semi-circular trench,
the proper depth being little below the
horizontal roots, cutting them off at the
extremities merely, in forming this trench,
instead OF mutllating large roots. When
this trench is formed, reach under with the
spade and cut off the tap-roOt, if there is
one: then bend the tree over toward the
trench and finish the circle by cutting
around the tree vertically with the spade.
The tree can then be lifted, and if near the
place, can be taken with the boil of earth
attached to the roots. and set in its new To-
cation or if it is to be carried any dis
lance, when the earth is shaken out, the
mass of fine, unbroken roots will insure it's
safety in its new position. A tree can be
taken up in this careful manner as quickly
as in the ordinary random hap-hazard way.
When taken up, carefully protect the
roots of the tree from the frost, sun and
drying winds. Thousands of trees are thus
nearly or quite ruined, or at least years
growth thus lost. The roots, after taking
UP, should be kept covered with loose earth
near where they are to be set out, taking
out handful of trees at a time, as wanted
in planting.
Prepare the ground for your trees by deep
and thorough tillage, and few days in ad-
vance of planting, make holes fully two feet
square, and one and half or two feet deep,
and in making them throw the good soil out
on one side, and the poor on the other
Loosen up the bottom with a grubbing hoe :;
throw in about two inches of good soil to
tighten what is TO be thrown in, as if clay
come directly upon clay, it will harden ana
become impervious to water. Now break
in roughly all the sides of your hole, to fill
up the bottom there with as much as prac-
ticable, adding the good soil laid on one
side, and if necessary, other good earth suf
flcient to fill the hole to the proper depth
for receiving the tree. Place the tree now
in position, and let its general inclination be
in the slightest degree possible to the south
west, for all trees have a tendency, if not
checked, to recede from that point, and in
cline to the northeast, forming most of their
wood in that position, tendency that must
be guarded against, both in planting and
pruning, while growth toward the south
west side of the tree is to be encouraged, in
order that the tree may preserve its balance
and beauty.
Trees must not be planted too deep, which
is the great error with nearly all planters
After a hole is entirely filed with loose
earth, by taking out one good spadeful you
will have room enough for the roots of a
common nursery tree. Sight your tree
when in position, and see that it is in line,
and that the rows are perfectly straight,
and then plant, covering the roots with
good friable soil, and shaking the tree quite
lightly and repeatedly, until it feels firm,
by the earth settling among its roots; then
press the earth lightly with your foot, and
scatter the poor soil thrown out from the
bottom of the hole upon the field, and the
tree is ready for the rain. In our hot eli
mate little extra earth is thrown upon the
roots the first winter, to protect them,
which the summer rains will wash away.
GIN spring transplanting, the soil must be
beaten about the roots much more firmly
than in fall, as at that time the winter rains
will beat the soil in about the roots. Fall
planted trees should be examined in spring,
W SOO IL OllCJ lCelis anu ohOull OLch Oo 1T
stored to the proper position, little inclin-
ing to the southwest.
After the tree is taken up it must be
pruned and fitted for it's new condition.
The roots have been necessarily considera-
bly, reduced and the branches must be re-
duced correspondingly. In all cases, then,
reduce the top. The French gardeners, III
planting quite young trees, cut them down
20 twelve or eighteen inches from the
ground, and allow them to make their own
system of branches on the spot. In plant
ING older trees, more care has to be taken to
Irune sufficiently, following the same prin-
clple Of keeping up the equilibrium between
the roots and branches. Let the roots,
however, always have the advantage.
with good system of healthy roots it is
easy to restore the top. Prune these older
trees in pyramidal form.
Apple trees should have three or four sub
stautial roots, and not be all fine hairy
roots, or they will never make a fine sub
stantial orchard tree, but always be loose in
Tile earth, and finally blow over, unless
anchored by strong, substantial roots.
Grape Culture.
The Orchard and Garden thinks that the