18 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES 



large, could be moved out of season, however, if the proper precautions 

 were taken not to disturb the roots. Deciduous trees over four inches 

 in diameter can be moved in mid-winter with the earth maintained about 

 their roots in a frozen ball. In fact, if trees of this size or larger are 

 not specially dug so as to get most of their roots, the frozen-ball method 

 of moving them is about the only sure way. Evergreen trees can also 

 be moved in mid-winter in the same manner and most evergreens over 

 1 5 feet in height must necessarily be moved with a frozen ball of earth. 



Trees and shrubs become dormant after the buds have ripened and 

 the leaves withered or dropped. They remain inactive from then on, 

 until warmth and moisture again starts their growth. With the excep- 

 tion of thin-barked trees, such as beech and birch, and fleshy rooted 

 trees such as the tulip tree and magnolia, fall planting is' usually possi- 

 ble. By keeping roots cool and moist, trees and shrubs may be 

 handled and planted any time while the ground is open during the 

 dormant period. 



How TO PLANT SHRUBS 



A great deal of care should be given to the important operation of 

 planting, First, go over the plant and carefully cut away all broken 

 or diseased portion of the roots. It is always well to cut the tops back 

 one-third or one-half, but if the pruning is done before the plants are 

 put in the soil, as it should be, then the condition of the roots will give 

 some idea as to the extent the top should be pruned. If there is a 

 great deal of top and few roots, then the cutting back should be more 

 severe than if there are plenty of roots. Pruning also helps prevent 

 drying back from the tips and encourages the plant in making its new 

 growth to send out a bushy growth from the bottom. 



After the shrub has been prepared for planting, a hole should be 

 dug large enough to allow the roots to spread out naturally and deep 

 enough to allow planting at the proper depth. It is better to have the 

 hole too deep than too shallow as the plant can be raised up a trifle 

 as the dirt is placed in around it. The shrub should be planted as 

 deeply or a trifle deeper than it was in the nursery. When the planting 

 is done on slopes where previous preparation of the soil is impossible, 

 the hole should be dug quite large to provide sufficient loose soil to 

 give the roots a chance. The sod should be laid to one side and if a 

 forkful of well rotted manure, some bone meal and a handful of potash 

 are thoroughly mixed with the soil in the hole dug for each plant, the 

 plant food requirements, not otherwise satisfied, will be amply taken 

 care of for several years. 



In planting the shrub, the important thing is to get the soil worked 

 in among the roots. This is done by using loose soil, by shaking the 

 plant gently up and down as the soil is thrown in, and by working the 



