21 



HOW TO PLANT A TREE 



The following, from " The Tree Book," by Doubleday, Page & Co., 

 presents briefly and forcibly the steps to be taken in the proper planting 

 of a tree: 



1. Dig the hole wider and deeper than the tree requires. If the tree 

 just fits into the socket the tips of the roots will meet a hard wall which 



they are too delicate to penetrate, hold 

 fast to or feed in. 



2. Be sure that the surface soil is 

 hoarded at one side when the hole is 

 dug. This soil is mellow and full of 

 plant food. The under soil is harder 

 and more barren. Some rich garden 

 soil can well be brought over and used 

 instead of this subsoil. 



3. Take up as large a root-system as 

 possible with the tree you dig. The 

 smaller the ball of earth the greater the 

 loss of feeding roots and the danger of 

 starvation to the tree. 



4. Trim all torn and broken roots 

 with a sharp knife. A ragged wound 

 below or above ground is slow and un- 

 certain in healing. A clean, slanting 



cut heals soonest and surest. 



5. Set the tree on a bed of mellow soil with all its roots spread 

 naturally. 



6. Let the level be the same as be- 

 fore. The tree's roots must be planted, 

 but not buried too deep to breathe. A 

 stick laid across the hole at the ground 

 level will indicate where the tree "col- 

 lar" should be. 



7. Sift rich earth, free from clods, 

 .among the roots. Hold the tree erect 

 and firm; lift it a little to make sure 

 the spaces are well filled underneath. 

 Pack it well down with your foot. 



8. If in the growing season, pour in 

 water and let it settle away. This estab- 

 lishes contact between root hairs and 

 soil particles, and dissolves plant food 

 for absorption. If the tree is dormant 

 do not water it. 



