The state herald., 1921-09-09
Orchard and Shade
Trees Can Be Gro.vn
on Dry Land Farms

l
! love the blue sky and white clouds
passing by and even Join merrily in
the movement and the music OF the
elemental dance with the winds. It
will welcome the flower-opening days
of spring, be home for the birds,
and enjoy the summer rain. And
when comes the golden peace of au-
| tumn days l trust II will be ready
with ripened fruit for the life to come
never fail to hope that IL this tree
Is cut down It may be used for a flag
pole to keep our glorious banner in
the breeze, or be built into cottage
where love will abide; or, II It must
be burnt. that it will blaze on the
hearthstone in home where children
play in the freight ON the floor
Enos A. Mills.
Trees are easily raised on the dry
farm for they can be planted with
their roots two feet deep In the
ground full of conserved moisture
possible for them to dry out: so there
is no reason to be afraid to plant a
wood lot, raise an orchard, or beauti-
fy home for want of irrigating wat
er. Much Of the lumber which helped
to build Denver, Cheyenne and Salt
Lake City came from districts where
the precipitation was never much
over fifteen inches. The pinon. yell
low pine Juniper and red cedar, are
often found growing under an aver
age precipitation OF only eight or
nine inches. The red spruce or Doug
las fir. which is one of our most
beautiful native trees, is found in the
foothills and nearly all the mountain
valleys where fourtee or fifteen
inches is the rule.
We may be sure that where these
trees grow wild without artificial aid
or moisture almost any upland tree
can be raised by the application of
proven dry farming methods. That
this is actually the case is shown by
the fact that some of our friends.
following these methods are raising
even such trees as cottonwoods,
which everyone knows are found In
nature only on bottoms where their
roots can reach water.
y We are writing on this subject at
an early date because right now is
the time to commence to plan for an
orchard or tree planting next spring.
We often get letters as late as April
inquiring for particulars as to trees
and the necessary preparation for
their setting out. Those who write
at that time must think that there
is nothing about dry farmtree plant
ing but to acquire a few trees as
quickly us possible and slap them into
the grounds The soil should be wet
down to the second or third foot and
the deeper the better. To insure this
il is necessary to plow ahead OF time.
In the summer or fall or even earlier
II possible. Trees may be safely plant
ed In two feet OF wet soil II they are
kept properly cultivated two or three
months without rain will not injure
them.
Another point in favor of looking
ahead In this matter is that the farm
err who orders his stock the earliest
get the best trees. Any time before
the holidays will do to send In the
order and nothing should be purchas-
ed from irresponsible agents: but
only from well known and reliable
nurseries. A tree adapts itself so
quickly TO new environment that
the nctual location OF the nursery
does not seem to cut much ice. The
writer has planted trees from Mis-
souri, Kansas. Iowa. New York and
other state and they have all done
equally well The main point In 10 OBJ
tain n good tree thnt has been proper
iy dug and properly packed. whose
roots have not been exposed to the
sun and mir The main reason that
transplnnted trees do not always leaf
out liz that when dns In the nursery
they have been left for some time
on the ground without, protection and
have partially dried out before pack
Ing. Trees for shipping any distance
should be boxed. rot balcd. and ms
soon as they arrive nj their destina'
tIon should be well sprinkled and
hceled Into the moist earth np TO the
branches. They can remain In that
condition for n week or two TO nd
vantage. and II amy OF them dried a
little on the trip they viii plump up
aud take on a new lease Of life.
In planting fruit trees. drouth is n
factor which need not be taken into
consideration. We have conquered tho
| .,.t..st... 90 t.x .v.nehar md ann nj