Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-01-25
FALL TREE PLANTING
6EsT TIME TO SET OUT THE psclpu-
Gus VARIETY.

Care should he Taken That on;y
GOOD Specimens Are "lan.ed-rov
the Roots should lie Treat.d-sixe
of the Holes.
lal is an excellent time 10 plant
trees. BY this is meant deciduous
trees. says The National Stockman.
The evergreens should he planted In
spring just before the buds open out.
as the leaves. remaining on all the
time. are constantly transpiring mos-
ture. and in order TO supply this mois-
turr the roots need to take hold of the
ground and begin growth at once.
In the fail there is generally not so
much pressure and hurry of other work
as in the spring. And, what is of more
Importance, the rains of fall and win
ter will settle the earth among the
roots of the newly planted tree. so that
growth can begin at the earliest mo-
ment in the spring.
The first thing, of course. is the trees
They should be obtained from a rplia-
bic source, for the buyer is wholly in
the hands of the seller and cannot
know what he has got for a number of
years, when the trees, if they live. will
come into bearing. And he should not
be taken with cheap trees. They are
delusiOn and fraud The first cost of
tree is light matter compared with
the planting, the care afterward and
the waiting year after year until bear
ing begins. 4 poor tree is dear as
gift. The rule should be first class
trees at Il fair price"
1t should be understood that good,
wide holes should be prepared for the
trees not less than three feet in width,
better If four. AS for the soil, the best
should be selected. since an orchard is
planted for lifetime or longer.
Before planting, the roots of the tree
will need attention, They are always
more or less mutilated in digging
Bruised and injured roots are to he cut
off, and the broken ends of good roots
only the ragged ends-are to be cut off,
with a clean. sloping cut on the under
side. and in doing this every good root
possible should he preserved, for the
roots are the life of the tree.
In planting it takes two persons to
do the work properly. The assistant is
to make the soil fine with the back of
the spade and shovel 1t in slowly while
the planter holds the tree in place
spreading the roots out in their natu-
raj position. working the fine earth in
among them with his hands and tramp
ing well when all the roots are covered
so to mako the ground over and
around them rs firm and solid as possi-
bic. The perfection of planting con-
sists in placing the roots in connection
with the soil as nearly as possible in
the same direction as that in which
they were before removal and but
slightly one or two inches - deeper
than the tree stood in the nursery. If
the season is very dry, it will be good
plan to give each tree n bucketful or
two of water when nearly done plant
ing.
Planting should not be done too ear
ly-not before there are two or three
sharp frosts TO loosen the leaves, so
they will come off easily. They must
in no case be left on the trees, even for
an hour after digging, as they carry
off moisture rapidly, and the trees
would soon be wited. and to strip off
the leaves by hand before their office
is completed is not good. The planting
may continue as long as the soil works
well Gs not wet and sticky and the
ground not frozen.
After planting. and before winter sets
in. II small mound of earth-earth with
out any mixture Of straw or grass-is
to he raised around each tree. This
should be about foot in height and
is inches in diameter at the base. The
nound protects the tree from the dep
relations of ground mice. which often
ruin young trees by gnawing the bark,
and. in addition. holds the tree steady
in the storms of winter. This should
never be neglected. In spring it is to
be leveled down.