CARE OF TREES BOFORE PLANTING 99 



is, undoubtedly, to box them in with wet straw, but it costs less and 

 they usually carry well considerable distances if carefully bundled 

 with tules (dry reed stems), the roots packed in wet straw, and the 

 packing and covering bound down tight with ropes to prevent drying 

 out. 



Attention should be paid to hauling away trees from the railway _ 

 stations as soon as possible after arrival. It is not uncommon for 

 shipments to lie on the station platforms for days, often when a des- 

 iccating north wind is blowing. Such treatment soon takes the life 

 out of the trees, and often, no doubt, the nurseryman is blamed for 

 failure of trees; which have suffered some such neglect as this, either 

 from transportation companies or from the purchasers. 



Heeling In. On arrival at the farms, trees should be "heeled in" 

 as soon as possible; even if it is the intention, to plant at once, heel 

 them in just the same, for delays arise often in the most unexpected 

 manner. To heel in, dig a trench or plow a deep furrow, or a double 

 furrow, in light, moist, but well-drained soil ; put in the trees singly 

 side by side, removing all the packing material carefully from the 

 roots, laying the tops all one way, and then shovel the earth over 

 the roots until they are well covered with loose soil, and be sure that 

 the soil sifts down well between the roots. Ordinarily this treatment 

 will hold the trees in good condition for a considerable time if need 

 be. If, however, they have become dry before arrival, the bundles 

 should be thoroughly drenched with water before heeling in. In 

 extreme cases, where ,the top shows drying by shrinking and shrivel- 

 ing of the bark, the trees should be drenched, and then they should 

 be covered root and top with earth for two or three days, when, if the 

 trouble has not gone too far, the< bark will recover its smoothness and 

 plumpness. It should be very! seldom, however, that a lot of trees is 

 allowed to get into such condition by neglect. In heeling in it will 

 be found a great convenience and a safeguard against possible con- 

 fusion by loss of labels, if each variety as taken from the packing is 

 placed by itself in the trench. Nurserymen generally attach a label 

 to each small bundle, if the trees are of several varieties, and the 

 novice is apt to lose all track of- his sorts when heeling* in the trench, 

 unless he heels in each kind by itself, leaving the nurseryman's label 

 to mark the whole lot of each kind. 



If the planter has his own ideas of after-treatment of his trees, 

 or if he is a beginner and desires to adopt the suggestions which will 

 be laid down in this book, he should insist that the nurseryman shall 

 not trim up or cut back the trees before packing. Have the trees 

 packed just as they are lifted from the ground. The work towards 

 the shaping of the tree should be done after it is planted in the x 

 orchard. 



PLANTING THE ORCHARD 



The young deciduous tree should be dormant before being re- 

 moved from the nursery row, and if its leaves have fallen it is good 

 evidence of its dormancy. Such, however, is the effect of the climate 



