Judsonia weekly advance., 1913-08-27

An account of series of experi- ments ill tree planting several years ago. in which I participated, may be of, interest.
 l may premise by stating the ex- traordinary fact that apple trees planted badly, according to current rules as to good planting, grew better than those planted in the orthodox way.
 Trees with injured roots not trim med were huddled into small holes, the soil over them being stamped vio- lently and yet they made more growth than trees planted in the usual way with the roots carefully trimmed to cut off broken or bruised portions
 In fhe following experiments 54 seta& trees, 56O in all, consisting of 4z x k. peaFs,P Plums and cherries,
 sRd and the result of the first
 Ihe trials were as astounding ,,...szssesEzsh mentioned above and even still md emphatic.
 Two sets of trees, as nearly as pos sible equhl in size and yigor, were tried against each other in each ex. pertinent, one set being planted in t what is usually regarded as the cor rect manner, while the trees of the other set were stuck into the holes gate-post fashion and the soil placed over the roots was rammed heavily while it was thoroughly puddled
 Out of ten trials with apple trees those which had been put in roughly and rammed gave greater wood growth in the first season than the others in eight instances, the excess ranging from 8 to S9 per cent and one of the exceptions was carried out in such light and sandy soil that the effect of ramming was slight and of short duration.
 The roots of the rammed trees were necessarily more or less injured by the ramming; there was a time when these trees seemed to be suffering from this treatment, but it was of short duration.
 It was concluded that the effect of injury to the roots leads to the forma- ton of fresh set of roots. while the : ramming puts the soil in close con- tact with the roots and probably in- creases it's capillarity.
 As it may be presumed that trees of all kinds and not fruit trees alone would be similarly affected by the methods of planting. the subject is of great importance
 For my part 1 cannot believe that the ramming did much damage to the roots, for it is inconceivable that bad ly mashed roots was the result, for experience shows that roots so in- jured rot off.
 In speaking of putting the trees in small holes this Is somewhat after the StringfeEow method where the roots of the trees are trimmed off to mere stumps and the tops much the same and the trees are thrust into the holes and rammed The chief ob- ject of this system is to make the trees send roots deeply into the soil. as | security against drought. Great success has attended the sys- tenn of packing the under soil com DactIy while keeping the top soil in fine state of looseness by means of frequent cultivation, followed by mulchinaN
 q The capillary of the lower soil is increased by it's close packing so that water from below is induced to rise abundantly to the roots of the trees and plants while its evaporation is checked by the fine and loose condi- < tion of the surface soil.
 I believe that these experiments went far to prove that heavier stamping in of the soil over the roots of trees than is commonly practiced, or even ranming is beneficial, and < that cutting the roots back, say with in three inches of the stems, causes < she development of a more healthy