The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-08
HINTS ON TREE PLANTING
A Few Practical Suggestions That May
Save Dlsappc l1tmcnt.

A Few Practical Suggestions That May
Save Dlsappc latmcnt.
What here follows has special ref
erence to setting out and caring for
shade and ornamental trees, asapplied
to towns and cities. The setting out
of groves of forest trees upon the
prairie isa different proposition and
is something with which the writer
has had no experience.
Generally speaking, no one should
attempt tree growing unless he has a
love for trees, which is absolutely
essential to give the necessary incen-
tive to the work and expense re-
qulred if success is to come from the
undertaking. 1t is simply IL waste of
money to set out trees and then leave
them to take care of themselves. In
some states, where there is a lose,
sandy soil and good drainage aud from
30 to 80 inches of rainfall annually,
they will thrive with but ordinary
care. Not so in this state, except in Il
few favored localities. But trees can
be made to grow in almost any part of
the state where there is sufficient
water at hand to give them the re-
quired moisture-and they are prop
erly set out and cared for.
When failure comes it is due almost
invariably to these causes: Trans
planting too large trees, digging the
holes too small, lack of water tie first
and second year and allowing the
grass to absorb the moisture from the
roots. The trouble with too large
trees is that they rarely recover from
the shock which comes from Destroy
ing so many roots in taking them from
nursery or grove. AT best it requires
from three to four years for such trees
to become firmly rooted and in that
time Il Younger tree, taken up with
roots intact, will catch it ard beat it
out and forever be better tree.
Borers will never attack healthy
tree, and too large tree generally be.
comes diseased after transplanting.
The holes should be dug large enough
to give the roots ample room, both at
the sides and bottom. IN lose earth If
there is hard subsoil take out part
of it and fill 1t with rich dirt, and
few stones and old tin cans, tlattened
out, will give the roots plenty of
drainage. This is absolutely essen
tial-that there be good drainage at
the roots.
Get your holes dug before you un-
pack your trees and keep the roots
from the sun until the tree
is ready to be planted. Before setting
it out fill the holes full of water and
let it soak away. Pack the dirt firmly
around the roots-rich, fine dirt, and
when the hole is half filed with earth
fill it up again with water and after it
has soaked in fill the hole with more
dirt and leave hollow around the
tree to catch the rain. Water every
two weeks all through the growing
season and keep the soil loose by shall
low cultivation with a hoe. About
the middle of July mulch heavily. and
let it extend we'll away from the tree.
This will not only serve to hold the
but keep the grass down.
Just before winter sets in give the
trees Il good soaking. Going into win
ter quarters with dry roots it what
causes winter killing. In the spring
spade in the mulch and care for the
trees as during the first summer,
again late in the summer.
In selecting trees chose those small
enough so that they can be taken up
without destroying any of the roots.
Trim them up on the sides, by cutting
off the lateral branches and fashion
the too to the height you want:it. 1t
is singular fact, but nevertheless
true, that the lower branches will
always remain about the same dis
tance from the ground as when the
tree is set out. To cut them off later
gives the tree severe shock.
If you have no connections with
city water, a small outlay for tank
now and then brought to your place
will be amply sufficient to give the
trees sufficient moisture and after the
second season they will, if kept null
ched, thrive and be q JOY to you and
those that come after Won for wears to