ARID AGRICULTURE. 413 



PREPARA- Do not attempt to plant trees the first year 



TION OF SO! 

 FOB TREES 



IXl iii sod ground. The land should be plowed 



deeply, preferably in the fall, and summer tilled 

 one year to conserve moisture. Xo weeds should 

 be allowed to grow or mature. In digging holes 

 in which to set the trees make them large. Throw 

 the top soil in a pile by itself so that when the 

 trees are set this top soil can be placed immedi- 

 ately around the roots. If there is hard-pan or 

 any impervious sub-soil, it is a most excellent 

 plan to put in a charge of dynamite wherever 

 it. will do the most good. In setting trees or 

 shrubs close together, as for wind-breaks or 

 hedge, much time and labor may be saved by 

 plowing a deep furrow and running the sub- 

 soiler sixteen or eighteen inches deep. This 

 loosens up the ground and makes digging the 

 holes easy. A good preparation of soil for trees 

 is to sow alfalfa, sweet clover, field peas or other 

 legumes, and plow under the crop to increase the 

 humus in the soil. It is a good practice to use 

 an old alfalfa field in which to set young trees, 

 but the alfalfa should be plowed under before 

 the trees have thrown out feeder roots through 

 the surface soil. 



SETTING OUT Over the larger part of the arid region the 



THE TREE ()1] ] y ^ Q time to set out trees is in the spring. 



The killing back of young trees is largely due to 



their drying out. The long winters and drying 



