Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-20
1eEe PLANTING IN KANSAS.
fwr,tt.n for the Tree Grower.l

mer. will make q few observations
upon tree planting for your valuable
publication.
That trees can be successfully plan
ted in Kansas there is now no shadow
of donbt. saw them growing sue
cessfully in the extreme southwestern
portion of the state, on the dry and
elevated plains 5000 to 1000 feet
above sea level. While in all of that
region there was not native tree or
shrub to be seen. no: eveL along the
banks of the Arkansas river, or any
of its tributaries, except the sage
brush upon the sand hills. 1t is true
that many have planted trees which
have not succeeded. and numbers
have met disappointment in planting
seeds. Seeds are the cheapest way to
start a grove, but not the surest.
There are as many chaaces against the
seeds starting when planted, as there
are against the trees, and the little
seedlings usually are such tender little
things that there are more chances for
them to be withered up and DESTROYED
by the first dry spell.
OF the varieties that seemed to be
the most successful l noticed white
cottonwood, box elder, black locust,
black walnut, silver maple, coffee bean
Usage orange, catalpa and white ash.
OF the above the white cottonwood
and silver maple seemed to be the
least desirable. The white cotton
wood grows well at first, but on dry
ground it usually does not live but i.
few years While silver maple is SO
very tender that it does not long with
stand the high prairie winds.
All of the above varieties, and in
deed think any trees are best plant
ed in Kansas in the fall. They should
be planted very deep, from one to
four inches deeper than the tree stood
in the nursery. By planting deep the
roots are put further from the scorch-
ing heat of the sun, and to more COM
pletely protect them from this scorch-
ing heat they should be mulched with
straw, prairie hay, or any litter that
keeps the hot sun off the ground.
Where it is impracticable to plant in
the fall it is very good plan to pro-
cure the trees in the fall and bury up,
and take ont and transplant at the
very earliest possible moment in the
spring.
In planting I consider it advisable
to carry about pail of thin mud and
dip or puddle the roots in ths until
the fibres are all we'll covered with the
mud, and then plant. pouring little
water ar und the tree when planted.
In planting tree claims many people
plant two or three trees in each place,
thereby insuring greater certainty
of there being enough trees that will
live to meet the requirements of the
law.
Trees with long tap roots, such as
eak, walnut, pecan, catalpa, Russian
mulberry, white ash, Norway or rec
pine, and southern yellow pine, ART
much more likely to withstand thu
drouths of Western Kansas. It ha,
been stated by some that trees will
tap roots cannot be transplanted, bu
this is mistake. There are thous
ands of walnut and oak grove.
throughout the West which have beer
raised from transplanted trees. Nur
serymen annually sell hundreds o
thousands of walnut trees for trans
planting in the West, and always will
good success.
If planters could be persuaded Il
plant in the fall, in my opinion Their
, would not be one failure where Their
, are now dozens. Trees are less dam
aged by exposure in the fall, and Their
is no danger of drouth destroying
the young tree Immediately after plan
: ting as is 50 often the case with sprin,
planting. Still, as planters are rapid
: ~ becoming more conversant with tn
: methods necessary to the successful
handling and planting in the spring
> failures are not as numerous now as il
5 the past, but those wh) are thorough