CHAPTER XIII. 



CARING FOR SHADE TREES 



THE tree planter's responsibility continues from the 

 time of planting until the tree dies. The young tree 

 must be cared for and protected with willing hand and 

 guided to full development. The neglected tree has little 

 chance. The one way in which planting may be made 

 successful is by meeting the tree's needs as they arise or 

 anticipating them. No other method can be depended upon 

 to produce satisfactory results. 



Some of the fundamental requirements of successful 

 shade tree growth are moisture, nourishment, cultivation 

 and protection. These involve the tree's very existence. 

 It is a waste of time and money to undertake planting 

 without a determination to give close attention to these 

 essentials. 



Watering begins at the time of planting. After this 

 first supply of moisture is given, the young tree should be 

 watered with unfailing regularity in dry climates and 

 occasionally in humid climates, if drouth occurs soon 

 after planting. This is especially important during the 

 first season's growth, when the tree is adjusting itself 

 to its new environment and is fighting to gain permanent 

 foothold in its strange surroundings. Water not only 

 supplies moisture, but also conveys into the tree, through 

 root absorption, the mineral elements and plant food 

 necessary to growth. In watering, it must be borne in 

 mind that the roots of a tree are more extensive, and 

 deeper in the ground, than those of other plants. For 

 this reason, more water is required to reach the entire 



root system. The quantity of water needed varies with 



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