Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-02-16

the Roots should he Trentcd-Sizc
of the Holes.
Fall is an excellent time to plant
trees. by this is meant dcciduous
trees, says The National Stockman.
The cvergrccnS should be planted in
spring just before the buds open out.
as the leaves, remaining on all the
time. are constantly transpiring mOis-
turc, and in order to supply this mois-
ture the roots need to take hold of the
ground and begin growth at once.
In the fall there is gcncITlly 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 as1Ong the
roots of the newly planted tree. so that
growth can begin at the earliest mo-
mCnt in the spring.
The first thing, of course, is the trees.
They should be obtained from rclia-
BILE source, for the buyer is wholly in
the hands of the seller and cannot
Enow what he has got for number of
years, when the trees, if they live, will
come into bearing. And he should not
be taken with cheap trees. They are Il
dclusion and a fraud. The first cost of
Il tree Is a light matter compared with
the planting, the care aftcrward and
the waiting year after year until bear
ing begins. \ poor tree is dear as
gift The rule should be first class
trees at fair price
I. ,lo
wide holes sh2Ild 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 mutilatcd in digging.
Bruised and injured roots are to be 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 be 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 it 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 as to make the ground over and
around them as 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 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 wilted, 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 lis not wet and sticky and the
ground not frozen.
After planting, and before winter sets
in, small mound of earth-earth with
out any mixture of straw or grass-is
| to be raised around each tree. This
should be about foot in height and
IS inches in diameter at the base. The
mound 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 levelcd down.