STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 35 



Another thing that is of great advantage to trees, that are set 

 in sod, is to loosen the soil around them with a forked spade in 

 the spring, for a few years after planting. Some twelve or fifteen 

 years ago, one day in April, some of our men got out of work and 

 we set them with forked spades, on a sub-division loosening the 

 soil around the trees. They went over about half of it, and the 

 effect has been marked ever since. You can see the exact place 

 to-day, where they left off. When it comes to the tender varie- 

 ties, and in fact all large trees, it will be found that a straw or 

 hay band wound around the bodies will be a great protection. It 

 will protect the sun-scalds we so often see on the south sides of 

 the trees, in summer, and from the constant freezing and thaw- 

 ing in winter, so injurious. The way to get at this is to go to a 

 hay or straw stack, and wind your bands into convenient lengths, 

 say twenty or thirty feet, then roll them up into balls and they 

 will be convenient to pass around the trees. Try it once and you 

 will find it is not so tedious a job as one would Suppose. Or 

 again : 



These straw bands are easily made with a simple crank with 

 hook on the end that will turn easily in the hands. Throw down 

 the hay or straw — if tramped by horses so much the better. 

 Moisten it, and taking a wisp on the hook begin twisting while an 

 assistant pays out the straw evenly, walking backward as you 

 twist until enough for a good ball is formed. Then the assistant 

 separating the band from the loose straw commences to wind the 

 ball until the crank is reached where the end may be fastened 

 until wanted with a wooden pin thrust through the ball. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. H. D. Brown — Have you had any experience in planting 

 trees on streets in a town like this? I have sold trees for plant- 

 ing all over this town, and there has been little success with them. 



Mr. Dunning — Pains must be taken with each individual tree. 



Mr. Vandenberg — I will say that you should not be afraid to 

 use the pounder, unless the ground is very wet. I have set thou- 

 sands of trees on streets in St. Louis and seldom lose any of the 

 trees. If it is properly planted and pounded and mulched, it will 

 need almost nothing afterward. Plant solid. 



Mr. M'Cleur — We set out trees two inches through, and have 

 a man get down on his hands and knees and work the dirt in 

 among the roots. The ordinary way of throwing it in and tramp- 

 ing it, does not get the dirt among the roots and be in contact 

 with them before they can grow well. I have not much faith in 



