Griggs courier., 1894-09-07
PLANTING IN THE FIELD.


Teees Set Out h &sDesmbsr or Even L.atsu
Do Very Wall.
To the experienced planter it is often
q source of surprise that more persons
do not plant trees in the fall. Nur-
serymen. who have much experience,
of course, usually state in their cata-
logues that fall is just as good a.
spring for the work, but it seems to
have but little effect on the public. for
there are twice as many trees planted
In spring as there are in the fall. To
me the reason for preferring spring by
the public seems to be the longing to
get out of doors which that season be.
gets. Winter forces people indoors,
and sometimes keeps them practically
excluded from the garden for several
months, and when they do find the
barriers removed, the garden takes
precedence of everything else. Au-
tumn finds us in a different state Of
mind. Months of pleasure among the
beauties of the lawn and garden bring
the inevitable desire for change. and
with not at all the same delight plant
ing brings then that is experienced in
spring. To the landscape gardener
and to the one who plants trees for
profit, where the element of pleasure
is not considered SO kcenly, the fall
months are eagerly looked forward to
for the pushing through of deal of
work. There is no better time for it
as found out many years ago. Taking
fruit trees, small fruits, ornamental
and evergreen trees, the ex-
ceptions are rare in which fall plant
ing is not better than spring. Among
fruit, the peach is an exception, and
among trees, the magnolias, tulip
tree and few other feshy root
ed plants. 1t has been observed
that not only is the fall q
good time, but early fall is better
than late. Many a time have 1 seen
trees set in September and afterwards
disturbed again in October, and show
ing then a mass of flbers freshly made.
The warm soil is precisely like a hot
bed is to cutting, and In the same
,say are young roots made. The cool.
dewy nights and warm soil make it
almost impossible for a tree to die.
Evergreens set out in September rare
ly fail. When well-watered, that the
damp earth fits closely about the
roots, fresh fibers appear almost at
once. 1t is a common error to suppose
that we have to wait until the leaves
fall. This is not at all necessary.
After the growth of the season has
stopped and the wood has become we'll
ripened, planting may proceed with
safety. There are sometimes freezing
nights here in October which cause
the leaves to fall, and whether the
frost does it or we strip them off by
hand, which is done in early plant
ings, what is the difference? 1t is but
nature by perhaps but a
few days. In considering the size of
tree to plant, there can be no doubt
that those of medium size are the
best. Fruit trees do not get many
in nurseries, otherwise
q little larger size would do as we'll.
In the case of shade trees, as there is
a demand for larger trees than for
fruits, they are often transplanted
and those of ten or twelve feet are
often as we'll rooted as fruit trees of
much less sizs. Evergreens of about
five to six feet give the best satisfac-
tion. The sizes mentioned, of the
various trees, are not incompatible
with good roots, and this and the
facility for handling are the main
things considered Farmer.