88 HAND-BOOK OF TREE-PLANTING. 



erly prepares the ground beforehand, or chooses 

 a soil already stored with the elements of plant- 

 food, and then, by means of plows and harrows, 

 brings it into the best mechanical condition to 

 supply the roots of the corn or wheat with 

 their food. Why should he be any less careful 

 in regard to the growth of his trees, those 

 nobler plants ? The principles in which success 

 is involved are the same in both cases. There 

 is no difference ; only, as the life and growth of 

 the corn or wheat are limited to a single year, 

 or a few months of the year, whereas the tree 

 is to reach its maturity only after the process 

 of growth has been carried on for scores, per- 

 haps for centuries of years, the preliminary 

 preparation for its work ought to be undertaken 

 with the greater care. 



It is because it is not so undertaken, but 

 oftentimes less care is given to the planting of 

 an oak than to a few grains of corn, that half 

 the failures in tree-planting occur. Instead of 

 wondering that so many trees after being 

 planted never put out a green leaf, or that, 

 after showing some feeble signs of life, they die 

 utterly in a year or two, the wonder should be 



