The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-03-27
How a Tree Should
Be Planted

Persons planting trees should make
it a point, first of all, to use the same
care and be just as particular as
surgeons in performing operations OF
a serious nature, since care is as I'M
portant in one case as in the other.
When planting a tree make sure to
dig the hole large enough to permit
the roots to spread as much as posi-
BILE. In replacing the dirt over the
roots put the top soil in first. This
soil is of a richer nature than.the sub
soil and should by all means come in
contact with the roots.
Another important point is to make
sure that the tree is planted at the
exact depth at which it grew. This
you can see by the soil mark about
the trunk. The ground should be
kept thoroughly and firmly packed ar
ound the roots so that the tree can
not work loose. When the tree is
planted in the fall the ground about
it should be tamped again in the
spring.
Trees must be thoroughly watered
when they are planted and regularly
afterward if the weather is dry. Once
or twice a week is often enough, but
be sure that plenty of water is used.
Unless the ground is soaked to a suf-
fcient depth water does more harm
than good. In planting evergreens,
if the ground is dry, only enough dirt
should he put in the hole to cover the
roots. The ground should then be
soaked and allowed to settle before
the rest of the soil is replaced.
The most important factor in sue
cessful planting is cultivation of the
ground about the tree. Work the soil
thoroughly with a hoe so that the air
and moisture can reach the roots. 1t
the ground is allowed to become hard
the roots will smother. If the tree is
planted in a lawn or meadow a space
as large as the spread of the roots
should be kept free of grass and cult
waited until the tree is thoroughly es-
tablished. Following is a set of rules
in the planting of a d~eciduous tree
as set down by an expert:
No. mark out the hole in the
form of a circle, making the diam
eter equal to the spread of the roots
No. 2-Remove the black soil i'm
mediately under the sod ard place
next to the sod. This black soil is,
of course, the best.
No. 3.-Remove the under or yellow
soil to a depth of about two and a
half feet. Be sure to keep the three
soils, black, sod and yellow, in separ-
ate piles.
No. 4.-The width of the hole aver
ages about five feet, top and bottom.
This is for a tree three inches in di-
ameter and eighteen feet in height.
No. 5.-Use decayed manure or
leaf mold to put in the hole for a
depth Of two inches.
No.S.-Turn the sod upside down
over the manur or leaf mold and
lamp thoroughly.
No. Put back some of the black
soil, pulverising it by hand, to a to-
tai depth of twelve inches, leaving the
hole still eighteen inches deep.
Nos. Take the tree and spread
out the roots so that every one is per-
fectly straight. If necessary trim
some of the long roots. making sure
that every important root has a clean
cut and not a jagged break at the end.
The soil mark on the trunk must be
level with the ground. If necessary
take out a little soil or put back a lit
tie more black dirt into the hole.
No. 9.-Spread the black soil by
hand between the roots. After cover
ing them shovel the rest of the black
soil on and lamp thoroughly.
No. 10.-Mix the yellow soil with
one part of decayed manure or leaf
mold to two parts of yellow soil and
spread on the top. This mixture
tends to keep the top soil open and
prevents il from packing too hard.
No.11.-After the tree is planted it
should be trimmed back, but great
care should be taken in doing this,
as many good specimens are ruined
by improper trimming.
No. 12--After the tree is planted
and trimmed the soil about it must
be kept open and should be constantly
cultivated for the first year. Fol- the
first month the tree should be water
ed once a week to a depth of twelve
inches to induce root action.