172 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



three or four inches deeper than it stood 

 in the nursery. It is believed that the 

 best results are secured by setting dwarf 

 trees so that the union between the bud 

 and the stock is four or five inches below 

 the surface. 



Common Error 

 The common error committed by most 

 tree planters is to plant too shallow. Deep 

 planting tends to develop a deeper root- 

 ing system; besides it affords a better 

 anchorage for the young tree. 



Size of Hole for Hard Soil 



The size of a hole in hard soil should 

 be greater than that of a hole dug in 

 loose soil that is not underlaid with a 

 hard impervious subsoil. Holes for trees 

 in such hard soils should be especially 

 large. In some instances it is advisable 

 to use giant powder to break up this hard 

 soil. Mr. B. P. Hurst of Boise, Idaho, 

 recommends that a hole be dug to a 

 depth of two feet, and in the center of 

 this hole another hole is bored to an addi- 

 tional depth of five feet. Giant powder 

 is then exploded in the bottom of the 

 bored hole. The method is described by 

 Mr. Hurst as follows: "Use two sticks of 

 giant, powder for each hole. Drop one 

 stick down in the hole. Loosen, at one 

 end, the paper around the other stick 

 of dynamite. At this end insert a sharp 

 peg the size of the cap to be used. At- 

 tach the fuse to the cap and place the 

 cap in the end of the powder. If there 

 is water in the hole cover the cap with 

 wagon grease, then draw the paper, and 

 tie it around the string. Place this stick 

 in the hole where the first stick was 

 dropped, leaving the fuse about six feet 

 long. The hole may be filled with water, 

 or fine earth, but must not be tamped. 

 Touch the match to the fuse. It is prob- 

 ably superfluous to say that the operator 

 should immediately remove to a consid- 

 erable distance from the hole! 



When using dynamite great care must 

 fee observed, for it is extremely danger- 

 ous in the hands of the inexperienced. It 

 is very essential that the stick, to which 

 the cap has been applied, be lowered 

 gently into the hole or a premature ex- 

 plosion may result. The safer practice 



in using this explosive is to employ ex- 

 perienced help. In removing the dirt 

 from the hole, that taken from the top- 

 most six inches should be placed on one 

 side while that taken from the lower 

 depths should be placed in a separate 

 pile. The reason for this is that the 

 surface soil is richer, containing more 

 available plant food than the subsoil, and 

 is therefore better adapted for placing in 

 immediate contact with the roots. The 

 bottom of the hole should be thoroughly 

 loosened by several thrusts of the spade 

 after which some of the surface soil is 

 thrown in before the tree enters the hole. 



Filling tbe Hole 



After the tree has been placed in its 

 exact position, by means of a tree locator 

 or by sighting, the roots are spread out 

 evenly in all directions and then the 

 hole is filled. The first dirt put into the 

 hole should be the rich soil from the sur- 

 face. This should be worked tightly un- 

 der and between the roots by using the 

 fingers. Slightly moving the tree up and 

 down will aid in getting the soil under 

 the roots. The hole is then filled half 

 full of surface soil and tramped down 

 firmly: after this the hole is filled to the 

 top with the other soil and again tramped. 

 A few shovelfuls of loose dirt or a few 

 forkfuls of manure thrown about the 

 tree to prevent the loss of moisture, com- 

 pletes the operation. 



Manuring tlie Hole 



The question is very often asked re- 

 garding the advisability of placing ma- 

 nure in the bottom of the hole. A forkful 

 of fine, well-rotted manure placed in the 

 bottom of the hole may often prove bene- 

 ficial, but coarse manure should never be 

 used in this manner because it will heat 

 and scald the roots. Spreading manure 

 on the surface about the tree is generally 

 regarded as the better practice. 



Lean Towards Wind 



Where the wind blows strongly from 

 the southwest, and west, as it does in 

 many localities of Idaho, unless some 

 windbreak exists, it is ver.v important 

 that the tree be set so that it points 

 strongly against the prevailing wind. 



