4: 



Making Holes mid Preparing tfie Soil. 



In stiff or hard soil the holes should be made three feet square 

 and from two and a half to three feet deep. As the top soil is 

 generally the best, it should be thrown to one side, so that it can 

 be used around the roots of the tree when the hole is refilled. 

 The soil should be well broken up. If convenient it is well to 

 mix with it a few spadefuls of stable manure ; the manure being 

 thoroughly mixed with the soil. Such fertilization, where it 

 can be done, will help the tree considerably. 



Planting the Tree. 



If possible planting should be done on a cool, cloudy day. 

 The hole should be refilled to within three inches of the surface, 

 reserving the best soil to pack about the tree. The soil should 

 be tramped lightly with the feet, leaving an opening in the 

 center of .the hole large enough to hold the tree. The tree 

 seedling is to be placed in the soil just as it is received from the 

 nursery, without removing it from the paper pot. After the 

 tree has been placed in position and the good soil packed around 

 it the soil should be tramped again, until it is properly firmed. 

 Care should be taken not to plant too deep. The tree should 

 be planted about one inch deeper than it was in the nursery and 

 the surface of the ground around the tree should be almost level 

 when the planting is finished. In ordinary situations a slight 

 depression around the tree, to prevent the water running away 

 when the tree is irrigated, is all that is required. In wet dis- 

 tricts it is sometimes better to grade the earth so that the water 

 will not collect around the tree. Water should not be applied 

 until after the tree is planted, then half a bucketful may be gently 

 poured on, wetting the soil immediately around the tree. If there 

 are frequent showers no further watering will be necessary. 



Care of Trees After Planting. 



Important as the process of planting is, much more depends 

 upon the after treatment. In many places cultivation is abso- 

 lutely essential and nearly everywhere a tree will thrive better 

 and grow faster during its early years with cultivation than 

 without it. The purposes of cultivation are mainly to protect 

 the young tree from the encroachment of weeds and grass, to 

 keep the soil about it in good condition and to retain the moisture 

 If planted in a dry time the tree should, if possible, be watered. 

 'I his should be done by giving a good soaking once every two 



