The Care of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs 



We often hear people say "What is the us 

 bothering about ornamental trees or shrubs ; they pro- 

 duce nothing and take care of themselves. I take it 

 for granted that the readers of this article do not share 

 such an opinion. Life's enjoyments are not limited to 

 our bread and butter. There are physical wants which 

 we like to indulge in, and these no doubt help to fill our 

 cup of happiness. 



Ornamental trees and shrubs have their place. Their 

 presence not only beautifies the surroundings but also 

 adds value to the real estate. City streets beautified 

 have the advantage over those without well cared 

 grounds. As long as human nature craves for the 

 beautiful, there will always be ornamentals. This 

 .means that a certain class of people whether gardeners 

 or superintendents, will be called upon to grow and 

 to care for them. Let us, therefore, pause and con- 

 sider what are the care which ornamentals need. 

 What are the diseases to which they are subject and 

 how we can best avoid them. 



In planting ornamentals whether trees or shrubs, 

 the first consideration is the soil. It is true that trees 

 Avill adapt themselves considerably to unnatural soil 

 conditions. Some moisture loving trees may adapt 

 themselves to dry regions, but there is a limit to this 

 adaptation. To obtain the best results, it is no doubt 

 wise to plant "Caesar" where "Csesar" belongs. It is 

 far better to have a healthy specimen growing under 

 natural conditions, than several stunted, puny, sickly 

 looking trees stuck in where they do not belong. 



In planting trees or shrubs in bulk, the selection 

 should be made to suit the soil, i. e., whether it is 

 sandy, clay or loam. In planting a single tree or 

 shrub, the above consideration is of no importance, 

 since the hole can be easily filled with the kind of soil 

 the particular tree or shrub prefers. Ornamentals are 

 no less feeders than trees or shrubs which are culti- 

 vated for the value of their fruits. As a rule, orna- 

 mentals, particularly in public parks, or shade trees in 

 city streets are underfed and starved. In these cases 

 the shedded leaves are scrupulously raked ofT, and the 

 application of fertilizers is usually omitted. 



In transplanting young trees to their permanent 

 places the hole should be at least six feet wide and 

 twenty inches deep. This will allow the tree to get a 

 good start. In digging up trees or shrubs for trans- 

 planting the more roots we can preserve and the more 

 soil that can cling to them the better. All the cut and 

 bruised roots should be removed. No tree or shrub 

 should be planted more than two or three inches 

 deeper than it originally grew. No fresh manure 

 should be applied directly to the tree, as it is liable to 

 cause rot of the roots. As the tree is set out, the soil 

 should be well tamped around the roots. This helps 

 to preserve the moisture and bring it into close con- 

 tact with the roots where it is most needed. As the 

 tree is set, a mulching of straw or hay may also help 

 to conserve the soil mixture. The limbs of transplanted 

 trees need to be cut back a little, particularly at the 

 tender growth. This may check excessive transpira- 

 tion. In shade trees, symmetry and form are greatly to 

 be desired. This is obtained by pruning. Many a 

 tree is being ruined through careless pruning. A great 

 deal of what is done is nothing short of butchery. If 

 we desire height, cutting back the lateral branches of a 

 tree will send all the food and the energies of growth 

 to the trunk. Topping, or the cutting of the leader 



By J- J- Taubenhaus. 



the use of will have the opposite eft'ect. When cutting out limbs 



branches, the cut should be close to and parallel 

 with the branch from which it is cut. Horizontal cuts 

 should not be allowed, as they retain water and open 

 the way to decay. 



Because ornamentals are planted solely for their 

 beauty, we too often underfeed them. Too often trees 

 suffer from starvation in places where neatness is 

 scrupulously observed. In these cases the ornamentals 

 are often left to their own care, as far as the food 

 supply is concerned. They may thrive for a while or 

 even for a period of years. The time, however, comes 

 sooner or later when these trees or shrubs exhaust all 

 the plant food of the soil in which they grow. The 

 result is suffering from actual want. A disease known 

 as "Stag head," or "Top dry" is nothing more than 

 starvation. The disease is more common to orna- 

 mental trees than to shrubs rs the former drain more 

 heavily the soil of its plant food than shrubs. Starva- 

 tion or "Stag head" is manifested by a gradual dying 

 of the top of the tree. The lower branches remain 

 green, luU make little active growth. As the soil be- 



"STAG HE.AD" OR "TOP DRY," A DISE.XSE DUE TO STARVATION. 



