126 THE CORNELL READING-COURSES 



rather long. Early fall planting can be done, at least with hardwoods. 

 There is danger of fall-planted trees being winter-killed or lifted by frost, 

 and the only especial advantage in fall planting is to lessen the rush of 

 spring work. Seed spots should not be made in the fall, except with 

 white oak. 



When shipments of trees are received, such trees as are not to be planted 

 the same day should be "heeled in"; that is, placed very close together 

 in a trench and the soil packed firmly about the roots, with the tops shaded 

 from the bright sun. In this way they can be kept all through the plant- 

 ing season. It is well to wet the roots before or after heeling in. 



Method of planting. When planting, the roots of evergreens must be 

 kept moist all the time; exposure to sun or wind for even a few minutes 

 may be fatal. The trees can be carried in pails of water or wrapped in 

 wet burlap. Hardwood roots are not so sensitive, but they should not 

 be needlessly exposed. 



The grub hoe or the mattock is the tool most employed in planting, 

 or, where the soil is light and easily dug, the spade is used. Grass and 

 other plants should be removed from a spot about twelve to sixteen inches 

 square. A hole is dug in the center of this spot, just large enough to 

 receive the roots comfortably, the tree being set a little deeper than it 

 grew in the garden. The roots should be spread out fairly well in the hole ; 

 they should not be rolled into a ball. It is well to prune long, stringy 

 roots. The soil should be packed firmly around the roots, but a little mulch 

 of loose soil should be left on top in order to check evaporation. The 

 work should be tested now and then by pulling at a tree just planted; 

 if it is not firm in the ground, the soil has not been sufficiently packed. 



In making seed spots, grass and weeds should be stripped from about 

 the same sized spots as though trees were being planted. Then a little 

 soil is loosened in the center of the spot, and a hole dug deep enough so 

 that the seed can be covered with about twice as much soil as the size 

 of the seed itself. Three to five hardwood seeds are planted in each spot. 

 All the seeds will not produce trees, and it is usually cheaper to go over 

 the ground after two or three years and take out the extra trees than to 

 plant again in places that have failed. 



Plowing and harrowing the ground before planting will greatly lessen 

 the amount of labor required. After harrowing, the ground can be marked 

 out with a corn marker. Trees can then be planted with a spade, and seeds 

 with a garden hoe or a corn planter. 



Cost of planting. When planting with the mattock on unplowed ground, 

 a man should be able to plant 300 to 600 trees or 400 to 1,500 seed spots 

 per day, according to conditions. If the ground is plowed and harrowed, 

 the speed of planting can easily be doubled. The total cost of planting, 



