Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-02

TO prevent the roots from becoming
dry Some trees stand considerable
exposure OF this kind, but others do
not. He who takes no chances viii
Keep the roots moist at all times.
Stock should he fresh from the
ground. and not allowed to dry out
and then reverted During the plant
ing operation, wet blankets or pieces
of wet burIap should be kept on hand
with which to cover the roots Of
trees awaiting their turn to be plant
ed. Even though thus covered they
should not be laid in the sun.
Examine the Roots.
Before planting the tree, examine
the roots. If any are found TO be
badly torn, or bruised. or split, cut
them off with a sharp knife above
the wound. Set the tree in an up
right position and straightcn out the
roots Cover the roots Immediately
with fine, fresh soil. avoiding large
rocks. clods and dry litter. pack the
soil firmly by trampng and fill the
hole to within about four inches Of
the top. Then fill the hole with wat
er. This will settle the soil around
the roots and insure ample moisture
for starting the tree When the wat
er has settled, fill the hole with loose
soil and do not pack. since it is de-
sirable to leave the surface loose.
After the tree has been set, cut
back all side branches to within about
one foot of the stem. If the tree is
more than six feet tall cut back the
top also. In any event, cut off all
the dead material. The lower branches
should he cut off flush with the stem
to a height OF five feet. The above
applies only To broadleaf trees. Ev-
ergreens are not pruncd at the time
of planting.
Treatment Of Wounds.
II is useless and expensive TO use
stock more than ten feet high. Such
stock requires heavier pruning, ISL
slower to start growing. and in the
end will be outstripped in both size
and symmetry by the smaller stock.
If the trees are exposed to danger
from gnawing. rubbing or breakage
by animals. they should be protected
by suitable enclosures or wire net
ting. If stem is bruised or III
branch broken off, trim the injured
part with a sharp. knife, and cover
the wound with ordinary lead paint or
hot asphalt If the tree is large and
subject to swaying in the wind, tie
the stem securely between strong
stakes driven into the ground on three
sides.
The most important consideration
in the care of young trees IL proper
watering and cultivation. The most
common error in watering is to apply |
the water too frequently and too light |
ly 4 light watering evaporates be- |
fore II has time to soak down to the |
roots. In order to benefit the tree |
ii should penetrate to a depth of at
least two feet.
About Watering.
A common method of watering !
trees is to run the water into a small |
basin directly around the base Of the
tree. This practice is Objectionable !
for several reasons. The water works
It's way down along the main stem and !
lCosens the tree. The stem often be- |
comes exposed below the root collar, |
resulting in what is known as sun |
scald. The most serious objection is !
that the water does not reach SUI !
extensive area around the !
tree, with the result that the remote !
root tips which normally are most ac- |
tive receive no water The ultimate |
result is that the roots confine them (
selves to the limited watered area in |
stead of extending many feet IN each |
direction from the tree. A better
method is to run the water in n
trench circlng the base of the tree at
Il distance of three or four feet As
trees grow old the roots may extend
out twenty or thirty feet. In such
cases a second trench or flooding the
entire area may be resorted TO- In
the case of row of trees, trench
should be run on either side. A still
better method of watering, particu-
larly where the trees are on lawn
which would be disfigured by trenches
is to sub-irrigate by placing tiles or
perforated pipes under the surface
In the lowlands, old trees can rely
almost entirely on ground water, but
in the highlands, irrigation is abso-
lutely necessary. Cultivation is always
beneficial but is often not practical.
A hard surface or the competition of
grass or weeds calls for an increased
water supply.
Use Southwest Stock.
II is best TO secure planting stock
from nurseries in the arid southwest,
since such stock is better adapted to
our climatic conditions than stock
from humid regions. AS already
pointed out small TO medium sized
trees from six to eight feet in height
are safer and more economical to
plant than larger ones. Large trees
should have correspondmgly long
roots. 1t should always he borne in
mind that the success of planted
tree depends more upon the root than
upon the top.
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