grounds. Of course the best trees are those which 

 have been grown in nurseries on cultivated soil, and 

 which have been transplanted one or more times to give 

 them thick, fibrous roots. Wild trees from the woods 

 and river bottoms do not usually grow so fast at first, 

 but may eventually be just as good, and are the ones 

 which can be most cheaply and easily secured. Trees 

 from four to eight feet tall with straight stems and no 

 large forks or branches near the ground are the best. 

 A great deal of care should be used in digging the trees 

 to get an abundance of small rootlets and not to injure 

 the roots more than can be helped. Broken and in- 

 jured portions should be cut off with a sharp knife. 

 The roots must not be allowed to dry out before plant- 

 ing, so it is important to cover them with wet burlap 

 or moss while carrying them to the planting site. The 

 hole should be made at least two feet deep and wide, 

 and the bottom filled with rich top soil for the roots to 

 rest in. Rich soil should be packed around the roots 

 during planting, and plenty of water used, as this helps 

 to pack the soil firmly about the rootlets, and enables, 

 the tiny root hairs to take water and nourishment by 

 their contact with the particles of moist soil. In dig- 

 ging wild trees, the roots are always more or less in- 

 jured, and it is therefore necessary to cut back the top 

 of the tree to conform to the diminished root system. 

 The trees should be planted about the same depth in the 

 new location that they were before transplanting. 

 Evergreens are more difficult to transplant successfully, 

 and wherever possible should be taken up with balls of 

 earth. 



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