PLANTING AND PRUNING TREES 





large trees large masses of earth are handled with the tree win 

 hoisting and hauling machinery, but this is a professional an 

 California this work is seldom undertaken unless one must\ 

 ready-made park immediately. It is less necessary in this staU, now- 

 ever, because trees grow so fast and one can have very large trees 

 from very small ones in a few years if he takes good care of them. 



Evergreen trees and shrubs should be transplanted, as nearly as 

 you can decide upon it, when the new growth is about to start. This 

 is when moisture and heat are adequate to growth. On the whole, 

 the best season is from February to May, according to the region you 

 are working in. Heat is then adequate and not excessive, and moist- 

 ure is adequate. Everything feels like growing under these conditions 

 and the tree quickly establishes itself. In places where there is a long 

 autumn growing season, evergreens may often be handled near the 

 close of a midsummer rest which they are apt to take. Evergreen 

 trees and shrubs should usually be moved with a ball of earth. Dig 

 a trench around the plant or along each side of the row of plants, 

 about six inches away from the stems and a foot deep, pushing away 

 the loose surface soil between the trees which has no roots in it. 

 Then cut down with a sharp spade between the trees about as far on 

 each side as the trench is from the tree. Use a very sharp spade so as 

 to cleanly cut roots and not break the ball of earth. Then cut under 

 the tree from each side at the bottom of the trench and you can lift 

 out the small tree with a ball of earth enclosing its roots. If the soil 

 is very friable, slip a piece of sacking under the ball, pull up the 

 corners and tie at the base of the tree stem, and then the ball can 

 be handled without breaking. Handled in this way, evergreens can 

 be moved at almost any time of the year, though it is better to take 

 them under conditions noted above. 



Trimming and Pruning. Treatment after planting is outlined on 

 page 89 and general suggestions on shaping are given on page 90. 



Ornamental and shade trees in dooryards, and particularly shade 

 trees along streets and avenues should be allowed to take their natural 

 forms as far as possible. There is one reason why pyramidal conifers 

 should seldom be chosen for such places. The requirements of the 

 street are such that the lower branches must be removed and a clear 

 trunk secured. To remove the lower limbs of a pyramidal conifer is 

 tree butchery, consequently trees which naturally make a spreading 

 crown and a clear trunk should be chosen. Enough pruning must be 

 done to raise the head so that the branches do not interfere with 

 traffic and passage. It is emphatically undesirable that avenue trees 

 should be cut back to an artificial form as fruit trees have to be. It 

 is sometimes desirable to cut back or to remove branches which go 

 astray, but there should not be regular pruning to make a form un- 



