The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-03-30

In comparison with the mahaleb stock.
The common wild '''bird'' or pin
cherry has been used to. a limited ex-
tent In some sections for stock pur-
poses, but 1t Is unimportant in COM
parlson with the others mentioned.
Trees for Planting.
The selection of trees suitable for
planting is fundamental to the success
of an orchard. TO plant a poor tree
is to start with a handicap that may
continue throughout the life of the
orchard. The purchase price of a poor
tree may be q few cents less than that
of n of high grade, but the economy
of the transaction ends with it's pur-
chase. Everything else costs substan-
TALLY the same as for a highygrade
tree. Real economy consists in pay
Ing reasonable prices for high-grade
trees. If only a definite amount can
be expended for trees. it 10 better to
secure a small number of good, strong,
well-rooted, well-formed trees than to
buy a larger number at the expense of
quality. An altogether desirable tree
Is difficult to describe, especially as
different planters have different ideals.
The d~esirability of a tree is not meas
ured by size alone. While a small, In
ferior tree should be avoided because
ir Is not likely to grow well even when
DpIanted under favorable conditions, a
very large, overgrown tree is scarcely
better. Unless handled with extreme
care, the largest grades do not endare
the check incident to transplanting as
well al thrifty medium-sized trees.
In the past, tw~o-year-old trees have
been planted, as a rule, by cherry
growers, but there is evidently a grow
ing preference for trees that have
made only one seasons growth in the
nursery.
Season for Planting Trees.
In regions where the winters are
severe and trying, spring planting is
advisable. Such conditions occur in
the North, where the temperature drops
very low, and the Great Plains area,
where, in addition to low tempera-
lures, the winters are very trying be-
cause of the limited supply of moisture
both in the soil and in the atmos-
phere. In the middle ATTITUDES and
wherever the winters are comparative
ly mild fall planting generally is pref
cradle.
One factor in spring planting needs
to be observed with special care. The
buds of cherry trees swell and start
into growth very early. If they start
to- any considerable extent before the
trees are planted, a high percentage of
failure Is likely to occur. Therefore,
particular pains should be taken to
hold the trees in a perfectly dormant
condition until they are set out, very
early planting usually being the wisest
plan.
Handling Nursery Trees.
The trees should be unpacked i'm
mediately after delivery and every pos
sible p%recaution taken to prevent the
roots from becoming dry. Unless the
number of trees is so limited that inn
mediate planting is possible and the
time for doing it is at hand, they
should be heeled in. For this purpose
a thoroughly well-drained place
where the soil is mellow and deep is
required. A trench sufficiently wide
and deep to receive the roots is made,
and the trees are placed in it.
In covering, the soil should be
worked among the roots sufficiently
to fill all the spaces between them. If
a large number of trees are to be
heeled in, they are usually placed in
closely adjacent rows. Where this is
done, the trees in one row may be
covered with the soil which is removed
in opening the adjacent trench.
Trees that are tied in bundles when
received must be separated before they
/ are heeled in.
Preparing the Land
: The ideal preparation OF the soil for
cherry trees consists of deep blowing
and thorough pulverizing with a har.
e row or e%ultivator. The preparation
3 should be hardly less thorough than
e for corn. potatoes, or other hoe crops
: Though various compromises on this
t ideal may be possible without defeat
ing the ends in view, any temporary
n gain through a course that falls shor'
< Of a thorough and deep working ans
d finlng of the soil will usually be mor'
It than Offset By the results that follow