ARBOR DAY. 19 



enough to pack the soil around the roots and to soak down 

 one or two feet, so that there will be no lack of moisture 

 until the new roots are well established, with abundant 

 new feeding rootlets. (VIII.) In after watering, if 

 needed, avoid the ' little and often ' method. Instead of 

 sprinkling the surface, and thus producing a crusty layer 

 impervious to air and sun, better dig a hole near the base 

 and pour in water enough to soak far down. Moisture 

 will evaporate ten times faster from the top inch layer than 

 from one a foot deep. (IX.) Unless there is a continuous 

 wet season, a mulching of coarse manure, or cut grass, or 

 straw, or leaves, from two to four inches thick and extend- 

 ing out two to five feet each way from the trunk, accord- 

 ing to its size and the extent of roots, is a very great pro- 

 tection and starter, and usually saves the necessity of much 

 watering even in a dry season. (X.) Unless the trunk 

 and branches are very small, or the soil unusually firm, 

 weighting it temporarily with a few stones, or with extra 

 heaping on of heavy earth, to be early removed, will pre- 

 vent swaying and rending the tender, newly-started root- 

 lets. It is in effect like the present method of enclosing a 

 broken human limb in a casing of solid plaster of Paris 

 to prevent any possible disturbance of the nascent muscles, 

 nerves, tendons, and blood-vessels. Where winds prevail 

 from any direction, as they usually do, lean the tree a little 

 in that direction when setting out. (XI.) Except with 



