The independent., 1907-03-28
Tree Planting.

Inc season Tor tree planting Is again
at hand. The time when everybody has
the fever for planting. Virtually there
seems to be no CLOSED season. for
planting nowadays, since there is hard
ly month in the year but what some
varieties of trees and Of certain forms
may be safely planted. We have been
accustomed Of later years to see the
tree wagons carrying great large trees
--one or two at a time-from the for
est to the planting ground during the
winter This is the best season of the
year for such heavy planting; but for
the smaller trees. or what are known as
nursery trees, the spring time is the
best season of the year for their plant
ing.
One sees so many trees being planted
each spring that the wonder is often
expressed What becomes of all the
trees? Why does not the land become
overrun with trees?"
These questions are more easily dis
posed of by saying that more than two
thirds of the trees planted each year
never arrive at a stage of usefulness.
! use~lha above estimates advisedly,
and / believe they are conservative.
the per cent of practical loss of trees
planted much higher than this. Profess
sor Bailey of Cornell university, who is
recognized as one of our foremost au-
thorities in horticulture, in discussing
this question a few years ago placed
the per cent of loss at about rs. / do
not remember the exact figures. Why
is this heavy loss? Why this large
per cent of loss and waste?
That 1t Is largely waste Is due to the
fact that the greatest cause of loss Is
because of the carelessness of the
planter. ! think that we may safely
place the loss caused by careless plant
ers at fully one-half of the total loss.
Lack of proper care for the trees after
they reach the ulanter such as expos
ure of the roots to sun or wind before
planting, the neglect to place the roots
in proper shape and soil the failure
to cut back half or more of the last
years growth of top; the neglect
through the summer to cultivate or
mulch the newly planted trees, or to
water them during critical times of
drouth; all these and other minor
causes combine to produce this heavy
loss.
Other causes of loss are chargeable
largely to the nurserymen and agents
who grow and sell the trees to the
planter Trees are often badly handi-
capped in their struggle for life at
transplanting because of poor root
system, as developed in the nursery, or
because of "stubbing'' the roots in
digging the trees. Again, trees are Of
ten injured In the nursery by the win
ter just previous to their removal. The
trees that are thus injured in The nur-
sery should never be sent out and are
not knowingly sold by any honest nur-
seryman.
The Agents Share of Blame.
Then there is the tree agent, who
sells and delivers the trees, who should
be held responsible for share of the
loss. His first and greatest fault Is in
selling you stock that is not hardy OF
otherwise adapted to your soil and
climate, and his second point for IN
dictment is in his careless method of
delivery, including the baling or box
ing of the trees at the nursery The
agent also is usually an impractical fell
low who will give advice for caring for
the trees that is unsound His sys-
tenn of deliveries in the fall with the
heeling in of the trees over winter are
often prolific causes OF failure. Again.
the agent is often to blame for the
carelessness of the planter 1T comes
about in this way: The planter gives
the agent an order for trees at price
that is generally double what they
should be sold for at the nursery: the
trees are delivered. the planter pays
the bill. the size of the bale of trees
and the amount of money required to
pay for them being so out of propor-
tion, the planter begins to feel that he
Is beaten. He then becomes mad or in
different towards the trees. loses faith
ia their growing. kicks them aside for
a while and then when the planting
is done II Is with such Indifference as
TO preclude final failure And the
moral teaching Of this experience with
the agent should be TO send the planter
direct tD the nursery for his trees.
How and when to Plant.
And now 1 come % what I had In