The record-union., 1895-08-16
FARM AND ORCHARD.
How We Have Been WofulIy
WastefuI of Trees.
Care and In the Proper Soil-Recom-
mendations That Every Farmer
Should Read and Ponder Upon
General Farm Notes.

AS nation we ;have been wofully
wasteful of the wealth of trees that na-
ture bestowed upon the land in other
I days. and now that there is growing in
terest in attempting to repair the damage,
1t is most unsatisfactory to find so much
| ill-success attending the effort.
! The only remedy is the education of
the public in the proper way to plant
| trees, and until this is accomplished we
must expect to see beautiful young elms,
NAPLES, oaks. birches and many other
| specimens OF our native trees torn rudely
from the soil where their past growth has
been made, and ''dumped'' with torn
roots. into uncongenial soil, perhaps
where their remaining roots are cramped
and poorly protected from the heat and
| air. Alter witnessing the manner in
which the average tree is planted, one
cannot wonder that nature, almost always
ready apparently TO attempt TO turn mans
| mistakes and careless methods into at
| least partial success, should SO often re-
tire from the field hopelessly vanQuished.
when 1t comes to keeping alive and grow
| Ing The trees that have bean so careless ~
transferred from old to new conditions.
| In the first place, there is altogether too
! much haste and waste usually practiced
| in removing trees from the soil where
| they have grown, and right here is to be
! found the primary cause OF large pro-
| portion of the failures. The surest way
| to destroy trees chance for lie is to cut
| circle around the trunk few feet away
| from it, severing every root that crosses
this encircling trench, and then to pull
over the tree with the circular mass OF
earth and the StumDS Of its roots, and to
| af hQra9 fn q
| circular cavity eXcavated in another
| place; and yet this is very common
! practice. 1t seems to be forgotten, or not
| known, that the portion of the roots that
| drinks in moisture and food for the sup
port OF life and growth Of trees is far out
among the small roots and rootlets which
are entirely lost in such digging. 1t is
| the small tibrous roots that draw nourish-
ment and moisture from the soil, and
| good supply of these must be secured if
| the tree ls to be given a fair chance. 1t is
| of comparatively small importance that a
mass OF earth remains undisturbed about
the trunk Of the troe-there are few
| fibrous roots there; nor is it of the high
est importance that the earth be removed
| intact with any of the roots. though for
obvious reasons it would be highly salts
| factory il the hbrOue roots far out from
| the trunk could be removed undisturbed
| with the soil about them.
| But good quantity Of these little root
| lets are secured, even if bare, and if they
are properly placed in the new soil, they
| will quickly adapt themselves to the new
conditions, and will soon begin to draw
| in moisture and nOurishment for the sup
port Of the tree. In removing q tree from
the soil, then, it is best to dig carefully
down about the trunk to ascertain the
| location of all the large roots, and then to
| follow along these roots, removing them
f~-- a
as possible, together with all their small
! branches and roOtlets that can be secured,
allowing the earth TO cling to these wher-
| ever possible. When large root strikes
directly down into the earth from the
| trunk of the tree. it is Of course. impossi-
| BILE to secure any great portion OF it; but
most Of the large roots run out near the
surface and very large amount of root
| surface, containing the small ieeding
rootlets. can thus be secured with a little
care. and it is care that will be we'll re-
paid.
In selecting new home for trees no
violent change of soil ought to be at
| tempted. 70 take tree from damp to
a dry soil is unwise. If a tree of par
| ticular variety is wanted for dry loca-
ton, secure one that has been growing in
another dry location, and so with the
other kinds of soil.
| Having carefully removed the tree, the
second and last step is setting it out and
there good care and judgment are essen
| tial. a well pulveriZed and we'll en-
riched bed should be made, large enough
to accommodate all the roots without
| doubling or cramping them, and the
smaller roots and rootlets should be care
| fully spread out and firmly imbedded in
in the earth. Packing the earth closely
about these little roots is especially i'm
portant, since in this way they will most
quickly get hold of the earth, so to speak,
and begin to take in moisture. All the
| loose earth, moreover, that is placed
around and over the roots, should be
carefully pressed down about and upon
| them, as loose condition Of the soil in
case like this causes loss of moisture to
| the roots when moisture is most needed.
In addition to making the earth firm
around the roots, generous mulch
| ought to be spresd all over the ground
above them, which will keep down the
growth of grass about the trunk, and will
aid wonderfully in holding moisture in
| the ground.
| l have said nothing about pruning the
trees when setting them out, for | am
| totally out of mpathy with the mutila-
ton commonly bestowed upon them.
| When two-thirds or more of the roots are
| torn away, it is, of course, necessary to
| cut down the leaf areas, but where the
roots are very generally preserved, as
| they should be, and the proper care
given in transplanting, such Topping off
OF top and branches Is unnecessary. A
great many people, moreover, have an
idea that they can improve OH nature in
| the shape OF tree, aud so they try to
trim their trees all to one fashion. In
the case OF fruit trees, pruning is legiti-
| mate. but In shade trees / am old-fash-
| iOned enough to be content to let nature
stamp individuality upon the beeches.
| the elms and the naples, preferring such
individuality to the prim. methodical
sameness which many try to impress
upon every tree about them. This is a
matter for taste to settle, however, and
! each one should suit himself. But the
| proper planting of a tree is not matter
OF taste. but of intelligence, and it is to
be hoped that such intelligence may be-
| come widespread before many years have
| passed.-Country Gentleman.
FARM NOTES.
| Timely attention is great factor in sue
! cessful FARMING.
1t is good gift to be able to Judge the
weather. especially in haying time.
OF the picking plants the gherkin is
one that deserves more attention than it
| has received, and is one of the best,
| Cleanliness and some sweet food for
the swine is better preventive OF hog
cholera than any remedy known for it.
| Destroy all the poison oak, sumact and
other poisonous plants that grow on the
farm. They are pests that should be got
/ ten rid OF.
! 1t pays to let the sheep or swine have
an occasional run in the apple orchard,
and the latter part OF June is good time
| to let them do so.
| There is no economy in haylng and
| harvest time to be short handed Lack
| of hands on any crop that depends on
timely attention is very expensive econ
| ofuy.
The main object in hay-making should