Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-02-11

6OO1IlOu 20 our nora.
How to plant viii next claim our atten-
ton. Shall we plant seeds, seedlings or
larger treesP I answer, plant seedlings
by all means-one to two years old. we
all know that young plants suffer least
from removal; and, therefore, are more
likely to succeed, besides they are much
more easily handled and planted, and are
cheaper than larger trees. If you must
plant seeds, plant them in nursery rows,
and afterward plant seedlings in the
plantation. Not one man in thousand
will ever succeed in starting plantation
OF five or ten acres of forest trees from
seeds. If he should succeed in getting
the seeds to terminate and come all right,
he will find that the weed seeds have ger
minated and come also; and before he
can get one-tenth part of the tiny plants
clean of weeds, the rest will be entirely
ruined. Though the little plants might
survive short while, and grow with the
weeds, they would as surely die when ex-
posed to the sun after the removal OF the
weeds as the weeds themselves after re-
moval by the hoe. Once allow tree
plant to become shaded, and then remove
the shade, and you may as we'll cut away
the plant also. Transplanting, then, is the
only method of starting forest-tree plan
tation worthy of universal commentator.
A few common-sense rules to be OBJ
served in the transplanting of trees are all
that will be practicable in this paper.
The reasons for these rules will be sufi
GENTLY obvious to every practical farmer,
without going into the scientific why's and
wherefores of them, the recital of which
would draw too heavily on the time and
patience of this institute:
LIST. In digging, lift all the roots posi-
BILE.
End. Never allow the moisture to dry
off the roots If dug in drying day,
(and we have few days in this country
that are not dryingO they should not be
allowed over five minutes exposure to the
air, but should be Immediately covered
with wet straw or hay, and thus protected
until healed in or planted in moist soil.
To secure this protection the most effect
ually, the roots should be thoroughly
immersed in puddle of adhesive soil,
and as efectually excluded from the air
as when growing. If when slightly cut
with knife the roots show dark color
under the bark, It is better to throw them
away at once than to be at any more ex-
pense with them, as they have undergone
the drying process, which is death to
them.
3rd. All that will be further necessary
in planting will be to gently brush out
the roots and fibres to their natural
position, being sure that they are all free
to come in contact with the new fresh SOIL
If the weather is dry, the soil should be
wet before planting, being sure to have
plenty of fine moist soil worked in among
the roots, so as to have every spongiole,
or mouth, (situated upon the extremity of
each root,) supplied with food. Plant
little deeper than it stood in its original
bed; pack the ground we'll about the
roots, SO that the wind may not move
them, and leave the rest to Nature and to
Natures God.
To lack of knowledge of the next
question when to plant-or carelessness
in the application of that knowledge, may
to any other one cause. If we have
timber claim to plant, we are too apt to
put it off until the law compels us to
plant, in order to save our claim. Then
we go at it hurriedly, and do the work
carelessly and imperfectly, and then blame
the plants or the country if they do not
grow. Transplanting may, no doubt, be
done nearly all the year round, with the
proper care; but best in spring or fall.
It is in many particulars theoretically
true that the fall is the best time for re-
moving trees, it being urged that the
20 ung plants degenerate their injured
rootlets during the winter, and that the
earth packs more closely about the roots.
I cannot, however, believe that. PRACTICAL
ly, fall is the best time for planting on
these bleak and exposed prairies. The
drying winds must exhaust the juices in
the stocks and branches when the roots
are not in condition to supply the loss.
Very early spring planting is subject to
the same difficulty, and objection, Il. e.,
of drying Winds and my Judgment is that
the proper time for planting is about the
time that the young shoots of growing
trees exhibit signs of pushihg-never
earlier, rather a little later-when all
vegetation is awakening to new life;
when the little spongioles, Gf the tree has
been properly planted will Immediately
take hold and supply the wasting Juices;
new ones will be formed to keep up the
supply, and a continual connection will
be kept up between the roots and tops;
buds will swell, leaves will put forth, and
the tree will soon be at home and grow
and thrive.
And now, having said all I started out
to say, 1 might perhaps have better done;
but desire to speak few words of en-
enlargement to the farmers and tree
growers of Trego county and western
Kansas. True, we have had many things
to discourage us in the planting of trees;
but imagine the same number of men
placed in the woods without any knowl-
edge of the axe or grub-hoe, with as little
of clearing the immense for
ests as we had of the art of growing
do you think would be in
the best condition to-day to make liveli-
hood? Have patience; we are learning;
some are succeeding; more will succeed;
g.oves and young forests are beginning
to spring up around us. To the much
abused timber culture law, much of this
success must be attributed; for it is, and
will no q GREAT factor in the nrOhlem IF |