Rural School Leaflet 957 



bed may be partially shaded by a row or grove of older trees. Spring 

 is usually the best season of the year in which to transplant trees. Care 

 should be taken to see that they are transplanted before the growing season 

 begins, in order not to interrupt the spring growth. In removing the 

 seedlings from the seed bed, great care is necessary to secure all the root- 

 lets of the seedling. It is best to put a spade into the soil five or six inches 

 to one side of the young tree and pry it up, bringing with it considerable 

 of the earth about the rootlets. In this way the tree may be removed 

 without danger of destroying too many of the small roots. 



Some trees, such as the hickories and the oaks, have a large taproot. 

 This may be reduced by cutting off about one third. The top of the seed- 

 lings should be trimmed back until it is approximately the same size as 

 the root system. During the course of transplanting the young seedlings 

 from the seed bed to the transplant bed, great care must be taken to pro- 

 tect the rootlets from the action of sun and wind. It is best to select 

 a cloudy or damp day, and even then the use of wet burlap or other coarse 

 cloth in which to wrap the roots is strongly advised. The transplant 

 bed, or bed in which the one-year-old seedlings are to be temporarily set 

 out, should be prepared in the same manner as described for the seed 

 bed. The trees, however, should be spaced more widely. The rows may 

 be made two to three feet apart, and the trees spaced about one foot apart 

 in the row. This allows of easy cu!i,';ation. If the ground is very dry 

 when the transplanting is done, it would be well to dig the hole in which 

 the tree is to be set and fill it with water some time beforehand, in order 

 to be sure that the soil around the roots is moist. A mulch of two to three 

 inches in depth, composed of loose, fine dirt, or a mixture of dirt and leaves, 

 may be left around the tree in order to conserve the moisture after the 

 tree is transplanted. 



The trees will be ready for final planting at the end of the second year. 

 Especially the trees with large taproots, such as the hickories and the 

 oaks, should be set out at the end of the second year, otherwise the labor 

 involved in transplanting is difficult and expensive. The planting should 

 be done in a manner to conform with the object of the plantation. If the 

 purpose is to beautify the ground around the home, it will be better to 

 group the trees in favorable position rather than to plant in formal rows. 

 If it is desired to fill up gaps in the woodlot, the larger openings may be 

 used in which to plant the trees. If, however, the purpose of the planta- 

 tion is for a windbreak or some similar use, it may be advisable to plant 

 in either double or triple rows. 



Editor's note. — Should any teacher in New York State obtain results 

 in propagating trees in the school garden, we should like to know 

 about it. 



