The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-12-27

grated trees should be set out as seed
lings do not bear true to the parent tree.
Many people plant sycamores because
of their rapid growth, but they make an
ugly scraggly tree and it is a much wiser
policy to plant better tree although it
takes little longer to grow. Sycamore
and cottonwood have long ago ceased to
be- planted by the more progressive
cities
The most beautiful of our southern
trees, and the one most typical of Louis
lana, is the live oak. Those in Audubon
Park and City Park, New Orleans, are
among the finest in the world. The ever
green symmetrical trees in the court
house square are from acorns gathered
| in Audubon Park and are a gift to the
public from Judge Bell of the District
Court Most men past middle life would
have selected quicker growing trees, but,
looking to the future rather than to the
present he planted sturdy oaks, indica
| tive of the stalwart character of the
man. Even now, though but seven or
| eight years old, these trees are begin
| ming to make good shade, while even
from the date of their planting they
have adorned and beautihed the square.
Generations hence tired men and women
will rest in their shade and countless
children make merry beneath their
spreading branches. These live oaks
will ever be monument to the donor
more lasting than marble.
l can not too highly recommend the
planting of like oaks, especially for pub
lie places and yards, also for street
planting where the space is between the
sidewalk and curb is of sufficient width.
Several parties in and near town have
them for sa1e-some have been grown
from acorns from the court house
square-or they can be bought from any
southern nursery. (They do not grow
wild in the woods this far north
PREPARATION FOR PLANTING.
No farmer would expect to make
crop of cotton without thorough prepa-
ration of the soil and continued cultiva-
ton after the seed are planted. The
same work should be done and care
taken in raising trees.
As a rule ground between sidewalk
and curb is clay with little or no soil.
Before planting dig out at least cubic
yard of this hard packed ground. If it
is clay, remove it, if soil, you can enrich
it and put it back. Have the hole re-
filled with good rich loan, we'll mixed
and fortified with thoroughly rotted
manure. Contact of the roots with
green manure will kill the tree
Prune your shade tree, cutting back
all limbs even with the trunk. Where
tree is two inches thick at the base cut
off the top, leaving height seven or eight
feet This is very important Necessar-
lily much of the roots have been lost in
digging and the remainder has received
severe shock, and is incapable of sup
porting the full sized tree. The tree it
self must be pruned back to preserve
the proportion or balance with the roots
This is necessary whether forest Or
nursery trees are planted, for nurseries
do not do the needfu1 pruning before
shipment unless specially requested to
do So They want the tree to look big
and make good showing when it is re-
ceived. Plant to the same depth the tree
originally stood, separate the roots and
lamp the earth tightly about them.
Mulch the top with an inch or two Of
well rotted manure. Keep the top soil
we'll worked and allow no grass to grow
within three feet Of. the tree. It is well
to water young trees, especially during
the first summer, but above all keep the
soil clean and well worked.
Those trees which shed their leaves
may be transplanted any time during
the fall, winter or early spring, but live
oaks and all evergreen trees should be
planted only in the very early fall or