The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-11

hole with the side having the lowest
and heaviest branches toward the
southwest; also lean body of tree to-
ward the 2-o'clock sun. Lean the tree
slightly; the north side of a tree grows
faster, hence so many trees incline
away from the sun, with consequent
injury to the trunks from sun-scald,
fiat-head borerS, etc.
Set the tree on the cone, spread the
roots evenly in all directions. pushing
the ends downward. They then act
as braces to hold the tree firm Don't
let roots be flattened out, nor worst of
all. have their ends bend upward.
Never bend roots; rather cut them
back somewhat if very long. Sift the
fine dirt over the roots, and at the
same time gently move the tree up and
down, that the dirt may be worked
in among the roots. When they are
covered to the depth of two or three
inches, use rammer, or step down into
the hole and firm the dirt with the
feet from that time until the hole is
filled to within an inch of the top,
when the firmed earth should be COW
cred with two inches of fine loose soil
to prevent evaporation.
Plant when the soil will powder, not
paste. If very dry, water should be
poured into the hole after roots have
been covered three inches with fine
soil. then after hole is nearly filed,
finish frming. Watering is seldom nee
essary in spring setting, except in late
planting.
Puddle roots before planting. al
ways. A half barrel partly filed with
water, with enough loan soil in il to
make it thick, is a good puddle or
dig hole in the ground. Pudding
should be done Immediately before
planting, and not allow to become dry
on the roots.
In spring, as soon as frost is out, go
pound the earth solid, for frost will
have loosened and drawn your trees,
and if left they may die.
Pruning a newly-set tree, whatever
may be necessary, should be done soon
after setting. and all after pruning
should be supplementary to that. Buy
well-grown trees with ell-branched
heads. A tree with a main leader or
stem, with branches diverging equally
in all directions, at intervals of from
three to six inches, is the model tree
and such tree needs no pruning. Such
tree, when grown, will seldom split
down. But it is rot often that a
strictly perfect tree comes from the
nursery, for they are hard to grow,
and it becomes necessary to bring the
tree into this model condition by prun-
ing. Remove sharp forks and some
of the weaker branches where they are
too close together. keeping the tree bal
anced on all sides. but with more
branches on the southwest side; don't
cut back either the leader or the ends
or side of lateral branches, except it
be some unusually long ones on apple,
pear, etc. If much cutting back is
needed, do it the second spring (before
buds swelD, for trees live better when
not cut back. especially cherry and
pear. Never cut back the branches of
a cherry-tree the first year; cut out
entire all weak branches, but don't
shorten those left.
a peach tree, on the contrary, must
have entire top cut off. leaving only a
stick IS to IS inches above the roots.
When thus trimmed. plant in good,
mellow soil, about two inches deeper
than in nursery. When growth be-
gins, sprouts will come out all along
up the body. All should be rubbed off
while small, except three or four near
the top, that must be allowed to grow
to form the main branches of the flu
ture tree. These new branches viii
grow from three to five feet the first
season, and so make a much stronger
and better formed tree than would
have been possible had not the top all
been cut away. Don't fail to cut off
entire top when planting a peach tree.
Stark Bros Catalogue.