HOW TO PLANT. 89 



rather that so many live at all. The trees treat 

 us better than we treat them. They more than 

 repay us for our care. They triumph over 

 difficulties and discouragements astonishingly 

 oftentimes. Life is a mighty power and works 

 miracles almost. But we can not expect the 

 trees to work miracles to make up for our 

 negligence. 



Let it be understood, then, by every planter, 

 whether he be the owner of a little village plot 

 and wishes to plant but a single tree or a clump 

 of trees in his door-yard to beautify it, or is 

 possessed of a stretch of treeless prairie beyond 

 the Mississippi, which he wishes to clothe in 

 part with trees and so bring it into a pleasant 

 and comfortable condition for human occu- 

 pancy, that the first thing to be done is to see 

 that his ground has a proper supply of plant- 

 food though in most cases Nature will have 

 provided that and that the soil is so triturated 

 and mellowed that his trees can easily take 

 their food into their mouths. This is the most 

 essential thing. 



Neglect at this point is at the expense of 

 further growth and ultimate success and satis- 



