The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-03-06
ARBOR DAY.
Interesting Letter from Former Citizen
of Austin.

" t,a Editor of The Statesman:
naor eir-I hear Il great deal OF talk
hant Arbor Day and tree planning,
" ts onJ 7 am truly surprised that
{ 'C ,,,, O., men and legislators should
i EN- 80 little OF practical science as
Ai S,,;,; NJ in the law, its discussion
and The time of year set apafe: FOE 1Iee
,,iantine. I know not what llllls may
P ''' ho.t IN the North with Their iong'
a,,II IN r,intars and short summers with
I ,I.rt W OF rain, plenty of moisture IN
The Ground the whole year I1uilu, anu
the :, snn's rays striking the earth
obliouely, but for warm, sunny ~ te e,,nS
m, "S drv seasons, vertical suns rays
earth parched up and cracked \, open sah
70 nlant trees IN February ana Maioh
u; " IhSer nonsense. True, they may
-, not ia all die, but one years growth Is
i hot and the tree is injured for llfe.
~ LET rs learn lesson from tree me-
In the spring the little rootlets'
which in winter have been thrown
ont at millions of points, each WIN
it, little suction mouth formed and
matured for one years work only
suck up the plant food from It's mo'e II
earth which, by the aid OF the lnlng
organ in the tree, is converted INTO
Sa1 which rises to it's top and the eX'
tremitv of every branch and tWig'
stimulating to life and activity tne
dormant buds, and growth is at once
developed and pushed forward. Dur
ING the spring and summer the tIee
leaves and fruits, the sap is caroonlzeo
in the leaf, and descending Is con
verified into hard fiber, the tree gets Its
Years growth, its years work is done.
In the fall the leaves and fruit are
dronned, the vital energy in the tree
becomes dormant and it is ready to go
into winter quarters. Now it is a law
of life that when vitality is most &C
tive it is most sensitive to injury, and
is hardest to kill when its energy Is
dormant, hence in the winter the tree
can stand almost any amount OF
pruning or transplanting with the
least danger to its life or health.
Now the proper time for transplantlng
must vary in different countries and
different kind OF trees. AS rule you
are safe to transplant just as soon as
the tree sheds its leaves in the tail.
Another scientific fact is, the tree
grows above ground i'll the spring and
summer, and below ground III the
winter. As soon as the years growth
is matured, the little rOotlets IN the
ground that did the work Tor the past
season become hardened with the
wood fibre, and hence must reach out
d little farther, grow little to get to
new soil, and reform It's suction
mouths to be ready for the spring
work. Now if tree is set out in the
spring all this work OF the living plant
lis lost, and it is barely possible Tor the
tree to push out enough r5otlets to
sustain life, but not to grow; and u
years growth is lost even II the tr( 9
lives. In case the tree was set out In
October, the proper time in ordinary
seasons for Texas, by the time spring
comes it is bountiiully supplied with
rootlets, and will nearly always live
and do a fair years growing-besides
in the fall its energy is dormant and
receives but slight shock in trans
planting.
1t is far different il transplanted in
February or March, when its root
growth is finished and it is just enter
ing upon it's tree growth. Sap is al
ready rising, its activity is at its
height and it is easily killed or dam
aged for life. To transplant nov its
work is suspended. Sap in the body
becomes stagnant and soured, the
pores of the wood through which it
rises becomes clogged, andye the tree
makes u bold strike for life, sends out
hurriedly its little rootlets aud com
mepces to feed upon the soil, but their
number is far too small, the tree
starves for want Of food, and ii it lives
II is set back for years.
To illustrate, take TWO calves, starve
one the first year and iced the other
freely and then examine them at 3 or
years Of age aud mark the differ
ence. The same law holds good in
the vegetable world.
II. B. HILIYER.
: BEITON, Tex, Feb. p, 1880.
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