642 Home Nature-Study Course. 



and make faster growth than the Norway spruce. I should not, how- 

 ever, select evergreens for planting where care cannot be given. 



The Baldwin or Northern Spy Apple to my taste makes a good 

 shade tree. The Baldwin will come into bearing from eight to twelve 

 years after planting and the Spy several years later. The fruit will have 

 no commercial value unless the trees are sprayed. 



Should the ground be wet there is no tree like the willow. 



Many other trees could be described but here are enough for a selec- 

 tion. In making a choice consideration must be given to the ability of 

 the tree to overcome the vicissitudes to which most shade trees are sub- 

 jected. I know of none of greater fortitude than the Carolina Poplar, 

 and if properly started with low branches, it need not be held in the light 

 of a poor relation among trees. 



In selecting trees, I invariably practice and advise the choice of small 

 trees. This notion of mine comes from my years of experience as a 

 commercial orchardist. A small tree, one that has a diameter of three- 

 fourths to an inch when measured six inches from the ground is cheaper 

 and more certain to live and in a few years will overtake the larger tree 

 of twice its size. The point of view of the professional landscape gar- 

 dener is different. He advocates large trees, entailing in some instances 

 an expense of $150 per tree. This is possible when the clients are mem- 

 bers of Park Boards or are people of ample means. It often happens that 

 such large trees moved by machinery made especially for that purpose 

 make but little if any new growth although they may live for many years. 



HOW TO PLANT A TREE 



A tree standing in the soil of its birth has in a 



general way as many roots as it has branches. 



These roots spreading out in the soil cover as wide 



an area as the branches, very much as you see in 



the illustration, and get plant food and moisture 



from at least a wagon load of soil. In digging up 



the tree the greater portion of the roots are left 



' - - behind leaving but comparatively few to go with 



^-^--'-"^" "^-^--=-^ |-l^g ^,-^.g ^^ yQ^^ see in the cut on the next page. 



How io plant. j,-, ^i^j^ restricted condition the roots are not 



capable of reaching out and finduig nourishment from more than a half 



bushel of soil. It is easy to see that if planted in its present form the 



roots and brandies are out of balance. 



The brandies formerly demanded all the resources of that wagon load 

 of soil and now have only the resources of that half bushel. In other 



