■IJ . 



BEARING AND MANAGEMENT OF TKKES. 



oflVr litlur a new theory or piacliio, I ut simply to point out ceitiiMi i-riiniples and 

 details of eulturo ami Jiianagoment, well lUKlerstood and uiiiverhally apjiiuved by cx- 

 perieiieed practical trec-growers. 



In the lii-st place, a very hirge number of the trees sent out from tlie nurseries are 

 not tit to bo })lanted. AVe must not be understood now .as alluding to any nurseries 

 in particular. The fact of our being a nurseryman will not prevent us from express- 

 ing our convictions freely ; and when we charge malpractice on the trade, we are pre- 

 pared to shoulder our share of the blame. We intend our remarks to be applied in a 

 general way, however ; and we believe all candid nurserymen will admit the truth of 

 what we are about to say. 



It will be generally admitted that hanllness is one of the most important qualities of 

 a tree, to fit it for safe removal. IIow is this to be attained ? It is very well known 

 that nearly all purch:isers of trees prefer such as are tall and straight, with a smooth 

 glossy bark, indicating what is called "thriftiness." Height is the greatest requisite — 

 in fact, the sine qua non — with by far the greater number of purchasers. Now, nur- 

 serymen must consult the tastes of their customers, and they are compelled to adopt a 

 system of culture that will produce such trees as they find most saleable. They must 

 tiilier do this or abandon the trade. To produce these tall, smooth-barked trees, they 

 must manure their ground liighly, and plant closely. In these dense nursery planta- 

 tions the light is pretty etlectually excluded from all parts of the tree save the top; and 

 as, according to an unalterable law of nature, trees and plants grow toward the light, 

 the tops push upward, and few or no side branches are formed. Those who have not 

 seen this exemplified in the nursery, may have seen it in the forest. If a number of 

 Elms or Maples, for instance, are planted closely in a group, and others separately, on 

 the same sort of soil, we find that those 2>lanted close together shoot upward rapidly, 

 forming tall, smooth, naked trunks, with a few branches only at the top ; while those 

 standing apart in the open space grow in height slowly, but throw out numerous side 

 branches, the trunk is thick, the bark furrowed, and the trees are so difterent from the 

 others as to have scarcely a characteristic in common, save the foliage. These tall 

 trees, with few branches, grown in the shade and shelter, have few roots. In a nat- 

 ural state the roots always bear a due proportion to the branches. "We find that a 

 tree standing in an open field, and having a wide-spread head, will have roots extend- 

 ing three or four times the distance that those of much more lofty trees do, growing 

 in a thick grove or forest. It is on this account that trees left standing when the for- 

 ests are cut down, seldom survive the shock of the first gale ; they are broken or torn 

 up by the roots. Nature beautifully adapts everything to its situation and circum- 

 stances. The tree in the depth of the forest is sheltered on all sides, and requires but 

 few roots to resist the force of the wind, or branches to protect its trunk. The tree 

 in the open field, exposed on all sides, requires an ample supply of both. It grows 

 moderately ; its trunk is stout ; its wood is firm, compact, and hardy ; its bark thick ; 

 its roots numerous, wide-spread, and powerful ; its branches ample, evenly disposed, 

 >2 and nicely balanced. There it stands, fitted out completely to meet the requirements 

 of its position. 



8 



