The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-06-01

were out in leaf I wrote Mr.. Stevens
briefly that 1t would be very difficult to
make the trees live and promised him to
give the reasons for this view In The
Ranch. 1t is often a puzzle to people
why we can move trees during the dor
mant season and make a success or IL
but can not do this when the trees are
leaved out. This can be made plain by
giving a chapter on the nature OF tree
growth During the growing season the
leaves of the tree are celebrating the
crude sap and making 1t into food ma
terial In this work more food ma
terial is elaborated than the plant
needs for it's growth just at that time.
This surplus food material Is carried
from the leaves and stored up In the
cells of the tree in its body and limbs.
There is more storing up OF this extra
food in the latter part Of the summer
than in the earlier part. This is very
obvious, for in the earlier part OF the
summer the tree is growing ana uses
I'D ALL or nearly all, OF the prepared
food, but later in the season, Wneh
growth ceases, the storing up increases.
The tree goes into winter well supplieo
with this extra amount OF food ma
terial Another factor must not Dc
overlooked and that Is that II taxes d
vast amount of water to carry on tnls
sap-elaboration. All this water prac
tically must come from the soil through
certain parts Of the roots and must Dc
pumped UP through the plant TO the
leaves and finally be given BACK 10 the
air by evaporation. To give the reaoer
some idea Of the vast amount OF water
needed in this process make the LII
vail
entitled 1.-THE Soil" by Prof. H. F. King,
nrofessor of AGRICULTURAL physics in
the University of Wisconsin, page lob:
.TIe,1rieeel found. through experiments
conducted in Prussia, that the amounts
80 water withdrawn from the soil ana
Given TO the air, almost wholly through
the nlant. were as follows: Barley used
a10 mounds of water for each round OF
drv matter produced, summer rye 300
nounds. oats 376 pounds, peas z'o
hounds red clover 80 POUNDS,
and buckwheat 1858 pounds OF
water for one pound Of dry matter.
This Is at the mean rate of 325 tons Oh
water for each ton Of dry matter pro-
duced" Now another fact must Dc
kent in mind and that is that this vast
amount of water can enter the rlant
on1v through the newer parts OF the
roots where the root hairs are 10 DC
found.
f
Now let us turn, with these Iacts
before u.s. to the transplanted tree' IL
the tree is dug in the dormant SEASON
winter or early spring-and properly
placed in the ground again. tnere 10
enough food material stored up In the
trunk and limbs to start the leaVee
on the branches and to start the sro"'i
of the root hairs in the ground. Frac-
tically all Of that part or the root sys-
tenn that admits water mas peen sacrl-
feed in the transplanting put this ioss
is made up at the same time the leaVeS
orc growing out, so the tree goes to
1.,or,, again taking in water through
Tho new root hairs and this water car
.ios nu+riment from the soil UP to the
leaves where meeting sunshine and air
~ is transformed into elaborated sap.
very small part Of the nutriment
ooaed nv the tree comes in through
tho roots for more than one-half OF
the dry matter of the tree Is carbon
which comes in from the air through
tho leaves as carbon dioxide. But the
leaves could not work over the carbon
ni+bout the presence Of the nutriment
conoine from the soil and carried UP by
the water.
4
Now let us see how different 1t is
with the tree that has leaved out pc
fore it is transplanted. Nearly all the
food material that was stored up the
previous autumn has been used up In
starting the leaves; and the newer
parts of the roots, where the root halrs
are found, have been sacrificed. 10
properly understand this we shouid
remember that as the tree grows older