The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-08-23
FALL THE BEST TIME TO PLANT
TREES.


Professor H. Z. Van Deman, late
United States pomologist. gives in
Green's Fruit Grower some very cogent
reasons for fall planting.
Generally speaking, he says, fall j.
always the best time to plant = st
fruit trees. In the first place, it Juld
be wise to buy trees and pla-s of
most kinds in the fall, whenever it is
at all convenient to do so. There are
several reasons why this should be
done. There is more time to do the
work carefully than if it is put off
until spring, when farm work is more
pressing and there is danger Of get
ting the trees planted late in the sea-
son.. The soil is usually in better con-
dition than in the spring, when it is
packed by the winter rains and may
also be baked hard by drouth. The
wounds on the roots heal over and little
rootlets are generally started before
freezing weather. They become settled
in the ground in quite a natural condi-
ton before active growth begins in the
spring.
The earlier tree can begin it's
growth, the stronger 1t will be, and the
more able to withstand any test of its
vitality. The first year is the most
critical for tree or plant, and If it is
passed safely it is likely to continue
to flourish.
In the fall there is better chance to
get choice stock, because it has never
been culled, and the entire growth of
the year is to select from. If the trees
are purchased in the fail there is no
danger of deferring their planting un-
til another year. Nurserymen, like
other business men, are glad to turn
their stock into money as soon as pos
sible, and, therefore are usually will
ing to sell at q lower price in the fall
than to wait until spring for it. II the
planting is not done until spring, as
must be the case in some climates, and
with some kinds Of trees and plants, II
is a very safe and convenient pan q
get them in the fall and have them
all ready for planting as soon as the
ground can be worked in spring. There
must Of necessity, be some delay N the
spring at the nursery, because 1T takes
time to dig and pack trees, and they are
usually subject to the necessary and I'M
necessary delays of transportation. This
sometimes takes weeks or even months.
1t is indeed very gratifying to know
that there is nothing to wait for in the
spring, when every thing is pushing for
attention. AS l have already stated,
there are differences in climate and Pc
culiaritieS of species and varieties, that
make it necessary to vary the times and
methods of planting; therefore, it may
be we'll to nave as clear an understand
ing Of the matter as possible.
The principal reason why the tree or
plant dies when transpianted is, that its
water supply is cut off. To be more ex-
plicit, the water of its sap is evaporated
and there is not sufficient opportunity
for it's replenishment. This is one Of
the fundamental principles Of plant
life that every one who deals with 1t
should fully understand. A branch is
cut from a tree in summer time. and
it's leaves soon wither and die. Why?
Because the water is evaporated. In
winter time it would take another
branch from the same tree a much
longer time to die, because the evapo-
ration is slower. If q, tree be dug up
and transplanted in mid summer it will
die much more easily than if it were
done when in the dormant stage a
few months later. The evaporating
surface is much greater when the leaf
and the roots cannot so easily drink
IN the needed water from the soil, be-
cause of the disarrangement of the
water channels in the soil. If the day
be bright and the soil dry, death is
likely to come soon. An evergreen is
harder TO safely transplant than a de-
ciduous tree or plant, chiefly because it
always has large evaporating sur
face.
If a tree suited by nature to a moist
soil and mild climate be removed where
these do not exist, there will nearly al
ways be trouble or absolute failure to
make it grow. Some trees and plants
will endure quite violent changes of