The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-15
TELLS Why TREE
PLANTERS FAIL

4Ht4tHA tEF H
There were a number of changes
in the scheduled programme at the
Tri-State Grain Growers convention.
Mr.. Desmidt's talk was delivered at
the session this afternoon.
"A. a. Desmidt Of Battle Lake, MINI,
president of the Battle Lake nursery,
who spoke on the subject. why Tree
Planters Fail, said: II have divided
the subject into three parts-prepara-
ton, planting and caring for
Preparation.
Begin to prepare the soil some time
before planting is TO take place:
should you need to plant on new soils
you will find natural timber soil, wen
plowed, best suited. Where one can I
would advise the use of an explosive
dynamite is best for it blows down
where powder blows up)' for blasting
the holes in preference to spade dug
holes, for many reasons of which /
will only mention q few. First; II
makes a reservoir of loose mellow soil
in the earth. Second: 1t makes ~crevices
in the soil which nswer four pur-
poses; to convey or carry away mois-
49, hL " a VI III AAADE "a "a OODF
irrigation, or bringing moisture from
below, which is far more than the av-
erage rain fall. Third. 1t allows free
circulation of air which is very essen
tial for plant life as well as animal
and human life are fed more or less
from air. Fourth: 1t gives place for the
feeder as well as the fibrous roots to
follow the crevices with ease. Do not
expect a tree or plant to penetrate
the soil n do proper work; it mat
ters little what soil you have, even
sandy soil becomes SO hard that 1t
can hardly be dug out with the use
of q pick, but should you not wish to
use an explosive pillow q ditch as deep
as possible (use a walking pillow to
fnish) then fill to proper depth FOR
planting so that the roots may have
free purse for some time to come.
Many of you have planted nice heal
thy acclimated trees. They lived up
to three or four years and then died,
for when the hole in which the tree
was planted became full Of roots
(similar to a house plant filing the
pot with roots) and hen for lack OF
nourishment Cor root ~surface) died.
You may say it was too cold or too
much exposed to- the elements; then
why did lit not die in its baby stages
when still in its infancy2 Why should
it die from anything but lack of nour-
ishment at an older stage OF life?
Does it appeal to you?
Hundreds of miles north Of us they
are growing apples very successfully,
in the open under proper care. so one
can easily see that 1t is not exposure
that kills our trees but for lack of
root surface. II you please, remember
| am not speaking of trees dying the
first season. It is not cold or ex-
posture that kills our trees but heat,
draught and lack Of ~nourishment; not
the climate no tree nor soil at fault.
but the planter, largely, so please
stop abusing the kind husbandman
who grows the tree. but look 10 the
source of failure. Do not buy stock
not found on the state fruit list.
Planting.
The second is planting. Before the
stock arrives dig a deep trench, this
is to place the roots of the trees in
to after a good mud mixture has been
prepared for that purpose. It should
be son the shady side of a building
and have the tops covered with Il
blanket for a day or so; remember
these trees have been in a COO place
so as to keep them dormant and
should be exposed to the sun gradual
III. Cut a half inch off from each root
before placing it in the mud. This
win allow the fresh cut wood TO come
in contact with the moisture, more so
than had the the end not been severed
tthis rule will apply to all roots but
strawberries) also cut off any root
that may have been broken in any
way. After the stock has been prop
eriy cared for YOU may begin planting
as soon as the buds show any signs
of life. Take them out Of the trench
AS YOU set them, exposing roots to
the sun as little as possible. DO not
allow more top than root, slope the
tree a little to the south, allowing that
side to have the most branches (fruit
trees only) so Ii may protect its body
from the sun as much as possible.
Cut roses. shrubs, etc. almost to the
roots to insure the best results the
coming or blooming season. Leave the
little lower so that the water will run
toward the tree when II rains.
Caring For.
The third is caring for. BUY enough
stock so that you will take more OF an
interest in it, set trees systematically
in rows. The best ground is none too
good for an orchard. Grow Z cult
waited crop iii them where it is posi-
BILE TO do SO, hut III one can afford to
have the ground lay idle under a Gull
EtiVated state so much the better. But
do cultivate. do not water much ura-
less you find Ii absolutely necessary
when there is no rain fall at all. Once
ia ten days is enough, then water
well, otherwise it is worse than NO
water at all Tor II causes the roots ID
stream or lake water whenever pos
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