FOKEST SEEDS SEEDLINGS AND CUTTINGS. 37 



single tree, and all your tools in proper order. Do not venture to plant 

 while the ground is so wet as to make a mortar, or the water collects in the 

 hole. If you do, the soil in contact with the roots tends to become 

 hard in drying, to the great injury of the growth. 



Soon as trees are taken up or received from the nursery, with a sharp 

 knife prune off all badly bruised roots, but cut as little as possible to bring 

 crown and root in proportion. Puddle the roots in equal parts of cow dung, 

 clay and water. Be careful not to expose the roots of trees to the wind 

 and sun. More failures in tree planting arise from carelessness in this 

 particular than from any other cause. To prevent this, carry the trees to 

 the field to be planted in bundles covered with mats; lay them down and 

 cover the roots with wet loam, and only remove them from the bundle as 

 they are actually required for planting. In planting, the roots should be 

 carefully spread out and the soil worked among them. Make the roots 

 trend downward into the damp soil. When the roots are covered, press the 

 earth firmly about the plant with the foot. Insert the plant some deeper 

 than it stood before being transplanted. Select, if possible, for tree plant- 

 ing a cloudy or a rainy day. It is better to plant after the middle of the 

 day than before it. Protect the young plantation from cattle and other 

 browsing animals. 



PLANTING LARGER TREES. 



In planting trees from three to six feet, select such as are symmetrical, 

 free from insect pests, having broad crowns and dense foliage. It is the 

 little fibers that sustain the life of the tree. See that there are plenty of 

 them, compactly grown, and not impaired in bark or torn at the ends or 

 dried up. Cover them with moist soil or moss or bags, and retain on 

 them as much of the original soil as possible. Pruning for beauty and 

 health should be done a year before transplanting, or may be done a year 

 after. If you select cottonwoods, or any of the poplar family, see that 

 they are not planted near the well or spring, for then they will surely clog 

 them with their roots and taint the water. The method of planting, and 

 after care, are thus summarized by Prof. B. F. Fernow, chief of the For- 

 estry Division : 



"Holes are best made before the trees are brought to the ground. They 

 should be some deeper than the depth of the root system, but twice as 

 large around as seems necessary, to facilitate penetration of rains and de- 

 velopment of rootlets through the loosened soil. Place the top soil, which 

 is better (being richer in easily assimilated plant food) to one side, the 

 raw soil from the bottom to the other side; in filling back bring the richer 

 soil to the bottom. If it be practicable, improve a heavy, loamy soil by 

 adding to and mixing with it looser sandy soil, or a loose poor soil by 

 enriching it with loam or compost. Keep all stones out of the bottom; 

 they may be used above the roots, or better, on the surface. Providing 

 proper drainage is the best means of improving ground for tree planting. 

 Use no manure except as a top dressing. 



"The practice of using water while planting can hardly be said to be a 

 good one, unless the water is very carefully applied with a 'hose' after 



