THE GENESEE FARMER. 



221 



trees, have taken pains to acquire the slightest possi- 

 ble degree of knowledge concerning their structure, 

 the functions of the diil'erent parts, and their relative 

 connection and influence upon each other ? Not one 

 in five hundred. A man spending a hundred dollars 

 for trees does not consider it worth his while to con- 

 sult the best books that have been written on the 

 subject — he does not consider that a dollar spent in 

 that way might save him fifty in the management of 

 his plantation. A few words of oral instruction from 

 some one perhaps as iU-informed as himself, or a few 

 hints which he finds on the cover of a nm-seiyman's 

 catalogue, supply all the needed information. We 

 are happy to admit exceptions — numerous, too. — 

 Books and papers are read and studied; but the few 

 who read and seek information from such sources are, 

 when compared with the number of persons M-ho 

 plant trees, but a drop in the bucket. Frauds of all 

 kinds are perpetrated upon people thus exposed by 

 ignorance ; for there is no pursuit under the sun ex- 

 empt from dishonest and tricky persons. It is not 

 surprising that we hear, every year, people complain 

 bitterly of their trees. Some they lose totally the 

 first season; others linger along for years without 

 maldng any considerable growth, while the cause re- 

 mains a complete mysteiy. " They were nice trees, 

 well planted, and every way well cared for." Now 

 there are many reasons for these failures; and if peo- 

 ple were as well informed as they should be on this 

 subject — if they possessed a correct knowledge of the 

 essential properties of a tree fit for safe and success- 

 ful removal, and understood properly what good 

 planting and good treatment consist in — they could 

 readily account for their losses. 



We propose, now, to oflfer a few suggestions on 

 these topics — first, m regard to the qualities of trees, 

 and how these are to be secured; and, secondly, on 

 planting and subsequent treatment. We may as well 

 say at the outset, that we are not about to ofler either 

 a new theory or practice, but simply to point out 

 certam principles and details of culture and manage- 

 ment, well understood and universally approved "by 

 experienced, practical tree-gi-owers. 



In the first place, a very large number of the trees 

 sent out from the nurseries are not fit to be planted. 

 We must not be understood now as alluding to any 

 nurseries in pai'ticular. The fact of our being a nur- 

 seryman will not prevent us from expressing our con- 

 victions freely; and when we charge malpractice on 

 the trade, we are prepared to shoulder our share of 

 the blame. We intend our remarks to be apphed in 

 a general way, however; and we beheve all candid 

 nurseiymen will admit the truth of what we are about 

 to say. 



It will be generally admitted that hardiness is one 

 of the most important qualities of a tree, to fit it for 

 safe removal. How is this to be attained? It is 

 very well known that nearly all purchasers of trees 

 prefer such as ai'e tall and straight, with a smooth, 

 glossy bark, indicating what is called "thriftiness." — 

 Height is the greatest requisite — in fact, the sine qua 

 non — ■with by far the greater number of purchasei-s. 



the trade. To produce these tall, smooth-barked 

 trees, they must manure theu- ground highly and plant 

 closely. In these dense nurseiy plantations the light 

 is pretty cfiectually excluded from all parts of the 

 tree save the top; and as, according to an unaltera- 

 ble law of nature, trees and plants grow towards the 

 light, the tops push upward, and few or no side 

 branches are formed. Those who have not seen this 

 exemplified in the nurseiy, may have seen it in the 

 forest. If a number of Elins or' Maples, for instance, 

 are planted closely in a gi'oup, and others separately, 

 on the same sort of soil, we find that those planted 

 close together shoot upward rapidly, forming taU, 

 smoo'h, naked trunks, with a few branches only "at the 

 top; while those standing apart in the open space 

 grow in height slowly, but throw out numerous side 

 branches, the trunk is thick, the bark furrowed, and 

 the trees are so different from the others as to have 

 scarcely a characteristic in common, save the foliage. 

 These tail trees, with few branches, grown in the 

 shade and shelter, have few roots. In a natural state 

 the roots always bear a due proportion to the 

 branches. We find that a tree standing in an open 

 field, and having a wide-spread head, wiU have roots 

 extending three or four times the distance that those 

 of much more lofty trees do, growing in a thick grove 

 or forest. It is on this account that trees left stand- 

 ing when the forests are cut down, seldom sur'^-ive the 

 shock of the first gale; they are broken or torn up 

 by the roots. Xature beautifully adapts everything 

 to its situation and circumstances. The tree in the 

 depth of the forest is sheltered on aU sides, and re- 

 quires but few roots to resist the force of the wind, or 

 branches to protect its ttmik. The tree in the open 

 field, exposed on all sides, requires an ample supply of 

 both. It grows moderately, its trunk is stout;' its 

 wood is fii-m, compact, and iiardy; its bark thick; its 

 rootsnumerous, wide-spread, and powerful ; its branches 

 ample, evenly disposed, -and nicely balanced. There 

 it stands, fitted out completely to meet the require- 

 ments of its position. 



There is valuable instruction here for us all. Xur- 

 serymen know that when their rows of trees are 

 thinned out — say one-half or three-fourths removed — 

 the remainder, instead of pushing upward, as they 

 had done before, begins to thi'ow out numerous 

 branches, the trunk thickens, and the roots spread 

 and strengthen rapidly. One season's growth, under 

 such conditions, gives them such a hold of the ground 

 that it requires three or fom' times the amount of la- 

 bor to remove them that it did the year previous, 

 when they stood very close. On this account such 

 trees, although generally regarded as culls, prove 

 most successful when transplanted, and are preferred 

 by experienced planters, even if they be defective in 

 form. 



Trees rapidly grown, forced with a rich soil, and 

 drawn up in the shade and shelter of close nursery 

 rows, are as ill-fitted to stand the shock of removal 

 into the open ground, exposed to the tuU force of the 

 sun and wind, heat and cold, as are the tall and slen- 

 ker trees that have grown up in the heail of the for- 



Now, nurserymen must consult the tastes of their est. The young trees have the advantage in bem^ 



customers, and they are compelled to adopt a system more plastic; they suffer and almost die;"but the m- 



of culture that will produce such trees as they find herent vigor of youth enables them, in many cases, to 



most saleable. They must either do this or abandon weather the storm. But even where they survive th# 



