X 



IRISH GARDENING 



dicular sides, and a depth of one to two feet, but 

 much will depend upon the nature of the soil, and 

 the amount of drying required to render the soil 

 suitable for planting. On sour or peaty land, or 

 where autunui planting is contemplated, all drain- 

 ing should be carried out at least six months before 

 planting. 



Choice of Trees and their Removal. 



Whatever the species of tree employed, it is very 

 desirable that the plants selected should possess 

 certain characteristics which are conducive to 

 successful transplanting. They should have stout, 

 short-jointed stems, with well ripened wood and 

 plump buds, and a sufficient number of fibrous 

 roots which can be lifted without difficulty when 

 the tree is moved. When the buyer is unable to 

 inspect the trees in the public nursery before pur- 

 chase, he should always arrange to have samples 

 forwarded which will enable him to judge as to the 

 bulk. Ai: plants which exhibit a top-heavy appear- 

 ance when held at arm's length, which have long, 

 weak annual growths, bent or deformed tap-roots, 

 or which will not stand perpendicularly in the 

 ground when the roots are properly buried, should 

 be rejected, while stunted or disused specimens 

 should be equally condemned as unsuitable. 



As regards size, the most suitable in a general 

 way are plants from 6-12 inches in height for high- 

 lying and exposed soils, and from 12-24 inches for 

 comparatively sheltered or good ground. In -weedy 

 or dirty ground it is sometimes advisable to plant 

 even larger sizes, owing to the rapid growth of the 

 weeds in summer, while, if necessary, many 

 species, such as Ash, Poplars, Willows, Alders, &c., 

 can be planted without difficulty when 4-5 feet 

 high. 



When received from a public nursery, young 

 trees should at once be unpacked, the bundles in 

 which they are tied opened out, the plants care- 

 fully laid in a trench, and the roots covered with 

 loose damp earth, leaf mould, or other material 

 which will prevent the drying of the roots in any 

 way until they are planted. On no account 

 should they be left exposed to sun or wind, or 

 simply allowed to remain for several weeks tied up 

 in bundles until planted, as is often done. Ex- 

 posure of the roots for any length of time is fatal 

 to many species, is detrimental to all, and is one 

 of the most frequent causes of failure in trans- 

 planting. 



Methods of Planting. 



The most suitable method of planting will de- 

 pend upon the size of the plants, the nature of the 

 soil, and the surface growth which covers the 

 latter. 



With large plants, or such as have long 

 straggling roots, where the soil is stiff and ad- 

 hesive in nature, or when the surface is covered 

 with thick turf, or a network of matted roots, the 

 most suitable system of planting is that known as 

 " pitting." This method consists in making with 

 the spade a square pit measuring about one foot 

 or so in every direction. All turf, roots, large 

 stones, &c., should be kept, as far as possible, 

 apart from the fine soil taken out of the pit, and 

 the latter used for placing directly in contact with 

 the roots when planting. On stiff soil the pits 

 should be dug in the autumn, and the soil removed 

 given an opportunity to become " weathered " and 

 acted upon by air and frost before planting is done. 

 On dry or loose soils pitting and planting may be 

 clone at the same time, as this is often more con- 

 venient. 



When planting, the plant should be held with its 

 main roots pointing vertically towards the bottom 

 of the pit, and not doubled or bent at right angles. 



and the fine soil placed round them as far as it will 

 go. Stones and coarser particles should be filled 

 in on the top, and the whole trodden firmly in with 

 the heel, taking care that the stem is not bruised 

 or skinned when doing this. Attention should also 

 be directed to the plant being placed at the correct 

 depth, which is about an inch or so deeper than 

 the original depth in the nursery, so as to allow for 

 the settling down of the loose soil. 



When small plants can be used, and where the 

 soil is light and porous, the method of planting 

 known as " slitting " can be successfully adopted. 

 This consists in making two deep cuts with the 

 spade at right angles, lifting up the soil between 

 them, and slipping in the roots of the tree before 

 the soil is allowed to fall back in its place. Care- 

 fully done, this method may be as successful as the 

 other; but unless skilfully carried out, there is 

 great risk of the roots being doubled back or 

 twisted when being inserted. For this reason it is 

 not recommended on a small scale, as, for instance, 

 when two or three acres only are to be planted. 



The most important points about tree planting 

 are the position of the roots in the ground, and 

 the firm treading of the soil round about them. 

 Many losses are occasioned by inattention to these 

 points. 



The best time of the year for tree planting will 

 depend upon soil and situation. On wet soils and 

 exposed sites, spring planting in February and 

 March is usually the best plan, as the young trees 

 are not long in the ground before the return of 

 warmer and drier weather. On dry soils and 

 sheltered localities autumn planting in October 

 and November may give the best results, as the 

 winter rains settle down the soil and prevent 

 spring droughts affecting the young trees. With 

 all large plants, and especially conifers, however, 

 spring planting is, on the whole, to be preferred to 

 autumn, as the continuous action of the wind on 

 newly planted trees throughout the winter is very 

 injurious to both tops and roots. This is especially 

 the case near the sea coast, where the action of salt 

 air has to be taken into account. In wet, clayey, 

 or sticky soils fairly dry weather should always be 

 chosen for planting. 



Subsequent Tending of the Trees. 



For the first month or two after planting the 

 only work which requires doing is to fix upright 

 any trees which may have been blown over or 

 become loosened by wind. In the following June 

 or July any vegetation which is seen to be inter- 

 fering with the young trees should be cut over 

 with a sharp hoe, care being taken that the trees 

 are not injured when this is being done. With 

 bracken this may be necessary twice in the year, 

 but if the ground has been properly cleaned pre- 

 vious to planting, one good cleaning should be 

 sufficient during the first summer. In the follow- 

 ing winter blanks caused ))y deaths may be filled 

 up with fresh plants, and the following sunuuer 

 the ground again cleared of rubbish, and so on 

 until the trees are out of danger, which will depend 

 very uuich upon the rate of growth of the species 

 themselves. 



If planting be carried out with careful attention 

 to all the above points, success should not be diffi- 

 cult to attain. The three most important things' 

 to remember are careful choice of plants, keeping 

 the roots from dry air and sun before, and leaving 

 them firmly fixed in the ground after planting. 



Department of Agriculture and 

 Technical Instruction for Ireland, 



Leaflet No. 66. 

 Novemher, 1905. 



