PLANTING 19 



soil down among the roots with a stick about the size of a broom 

 handle. Before the hole is completely filled the soil should be packed 

 firmly by pressing it with the feet. If the shrubs are to be watered, the 

 hole should be left before all the soil is thrown in, so a good portion of 

 water can collect there and soak in. Watering is done in case of late 

 spring planting when there is apt not to be much rain and the weather 

 has started to become quite warm. Afer the water has soaked in, the 

 soil should again be made firm, the plant straightened, and the hole 

 filled up with loose soil, left loose, to act as a mulch. 



It must not be forgotten that during this process the roots are 

 exposed to the atmosphere for a time. Precaution should always be 

 taken to prevent their drying out. The plant should not be dug from 

 the heeling-in trench until necessary and then should be kept covered 

 with canvas or wet gunny sacking. Sometimes, as the hole is dug, the 

 loose soil is thrown over the roots for their protection. Another method, 

 and a very good one, indeed, is to dip the roots of the shrub in a pud- 

 dle of mud especially made for the purpose. This not only provides 

 protection for the short time they are exposed, but performs about the 

 same service for the plant that watering after planting would and in 

 many cases where the soil is apt to become hard it is better than water- 

 ing. The mud on the roots should not be allowed to become dry 

 before planting. 



How TO PLANT TREES 



The same principles that apply in planting shrubs apply in planting 

 trees. There must be the same care taken in pruning, in protecting 

 the plant against drying out, and in the actual process of planting. 

 Other than these points of similarity in trees and shrubs there are a few 

 special considerations that apply to trees. 



The hole should be dug considerably larger than the spread of the 

 roots and deep enough to allow a goodly amount of loose soil to be 

 left in the bottom before the tree is planted. As the soil is removed, 

 the topsoil should be placed in a pile separate from the subsoil. Any 

 fertilizer that is to be used can be mixed thoroughly with the soil or 

 covered in the hole in such a way that it will not come in direct contact 

 with the roots of the plants. 



If the subsoil is very hard and heavy it should be broken up with 

 dynamite. Frequently it is thought that if the hard soil taken out is 

 not used and good soil substituted the tree will have a better chance, 

 but this is not usually the case. Water will easily penetrate all loose 

 soil and failing to escape will settle around the tree often causing it to 

 die. Thus it is best to provide drainage by breaking up the subsoil and 

 if drainage is provided any amount of good soil can be used to fill the 

 hole if it seems desirable. 



