86 Yearbook of Agriculture 1949 



largely be avoided by proper selection time of the year, but the novice should 

 and location of treJat planting time. plant only in the fall, winter or early 



and location of trees at planting 



It is better not to plant species like 

 maples and elms directly on lawns. 

 These and some others form a mat of 

 surface roots and are voracious feed- 

 ers. Much extra watering and fertiliz- 

 ing is required to keep the lawn under 

 such trees green and healthy. 



Some trees, like the American elm, 

 have a forking habit of growth that 

 may require bracing later. Others, like 

 silver maple and yellow-poplar, have 

 brittle branches that break easily in 

 wind and ice storms. Pin oak, black- 

 gum, green ash, shipmast locust, red- 

 gum, and similar species have an erect 

 habit of growth, require less space, and 

 withstand wind and ice storms better. 



spring, when most trees are more or less 

 dormant. In some localities, fall plant- 

 ing is as successful as spring planting; 

 in others, it may be either somewhat 

 better or decidedly worse. 



In the Eastern States south of a line 

 from Boston to Buffalo, Chicago, and 

 Kansas City, and east of a line from 

 Topeka to Corpus Christi, deciduous 

 trees can be moved from the time 

 leaves turn in the autumn until buds 

 burst in the spring, except when tem- 

 peratures are below freezing. The 

 same holds for the humid coastal re- 

 gion on the Pacific, from northern 

 California to British Columbia. 



Within those zones, evergreens may 



Some species are rapid growers but be planted from late summer till late 



are intolerant of shade. Frequently 

 that quality characterizes the relatively 

 short-lived species, like aspen, cotton- 

 wood, and some of the other poplars. 

 The Carolina poplar, which has been 

 widely used in landscaping, is a poor 

 choice around homes because of its 

 short life and its tendency to clog up 

 sewer lines with its roots. 



Do not mix rapid and slow growers 

 in the same grove or windbreak, or 

 else be sure that the slow growers do 

 well under shade. 



The trees one selects should be 

 healthy and vigorous. Trees grown in 

 a well-established local nursery are 

 preferable to wild ones or to nursery 

 stock shipped in from great distances. 

 Native species are preferable to the 

 exotic introduced ones, but exotics 

 of proved adaptation may be used 

 freely. Some home owners believe that 

 individuality and beauty require ex- 

 otic species, but that is not so. A little 

 time spent in observation and inquiry 

 on successfully landscaped grounds in 

 one's own community may be inval- 

 uable in getting the right start. 



If one does choose wilding stock, 

 open-grown specimens are hardier and 

 easier to dig than stock in dense woods. 



SEASON OF PLANTING: Experts can 

 plant trees successfully at almost any 



spring, provided they are moved with 

 a ball of earth around the roots. 



North and west of the indicated 

 lines, spring planting is recommended 

 for both evergreens and the deciduous 

 plants because severe freezes or dry 

 winds harm the newly reset plants. 

 Exceptions are the peninsula of Flor- 

 ida and the interior and southern parts 

 of California. In those places, ever- 

 greens can be transplanted whenever 

 soil moisture is abundant; deciduous 

 trees can be transplanted when they are 

 as nearly dormant as they are likely to 

 become there. 



SPACING: In working out the space 

 requirements of the trees, it is well to 

 draw a sketch to scale, showing build- 

 ings, roads, driveways, walks, courts, 

 shrubs, flower beds, and whatever else 

 will influence the placement of trees. 

 On this sketch one should plot the 

 areas the trees will need when they 

 are mature. 



Common mistakes are to plant too 

 close in an effort to get quick screening 

 effects, to set small trees under win- 

 dows, to crowd the walls of buildings, 

 and to plant trees where they will 

 eventually block vistas that should re- 

 main open. The oft-quoted rule, 

 "plant thick and thin quick," is no 

 good unless one is aiming at natural 



