The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-28
New Set Trees

Nv -AOCo-
We offer few suggestions, says an ex-
change, to those who may have SET young
trees last autumn or this spring, not as new,
but because the necessary care is apt to be
overlooked or forgotten. There is critical
period late in spring or early in summer,
when trees aften suffer severely and some
times fatally, for want OF little timely
attention.
Trees set out last autumn are sometimes
seriously injured by winds, which sway
about the stem and form a hole in the
earth by this motion. The air enters, comes
in contact with the roots, and such trees
frequently die. The remedy consists in
throwing the earth away from the tree, ap-
plying fresh, mellow earth. pressing it
down firmly enough to protect the young
tree from the wind. Sometimes it NAV be
necessary to throw up mound of earth as
an additional protection for a few weeks
until it becomes established. Where the
roots have been cut short in taking up, it
may be necessary to secure the stern by
means of an inclined stake, but stalking is
always to be avoided if possible As a
general rule, liable to exceptions, trees
should never be SO large when removed as
to require stalking; and if the roots have
been carefully taken up and well spread out
in transplanting, theylEwili stand more So
curely. Sometimes it happens that tree
having large top has retained small set
of roots, in which case the head must be
freely cut back so as to render it lighter,
and to equalize top and roots. But if the
buds have already started, or are partly
expanded, the cutting back must be omit
ted, as nothing checks newly-set tres more
than pruning too late ia spring.
Hardy trees set out in autumn would al
ways do better than spring set trees if
properly treated, the earth having become
well settled about the roots and early start
given Them. But it often happens that all
these advantages are lost by neglect In
addition to the injury already mentioned
from swaying about by the wind, the hard
crust which forms during the several
months they have stood is serious detri-
ment, and care should be taken to break
this crust and produce a fine mellow sur
face.
AS hot weather approaches, all newly
transplanted trees require mulching. In
most cases mellow earth forms the best
mulch; and if a circle about the tree. sew
eral feet in diameter, is kept clean and well
cultivated, the moisture in the soil will be
retained, and fine growth will be the re-
suit. An additional mulching will be
necessary only on very dry soils, or in an
unusually dry season. Young cherry trees
form an exception, and they should always
be mulched before the hot weather of sum-
mer. After having been well set out and
commenced growing, the leaves often
wither and the trees die under hot suns.
Several inches of old straw or grass spread
timely under the tree will save it. This
mulching should never be omitted with
cherry trees the first year.
Watering trees should never be employed
except in extreme cases. The practice de-
stroys many more trees than it saves. If
they are well set and the earth kept mellow,
they will not need it. A neighbor set out
thirty cherry trees and watered fifteen.
Those not watered all lived; large number
of the watered trees died in consequence of
the hard crust which the watering formed
on the surface, while none reached the
roots a foot below. If water is ever applied
to young tree the surface earth should be
first shoveled away. SO that it may at once
reach the roots, and the mellow earth then
replaced. But even here the intermitting
supply thus givenfis not as good as the uni
form moisture preserved by keeping mel
low bed of earth. snC