HEELING IN 



51 



In some cases it is worth while even to water them, especially 

 if they are to stand here long before setting. The writer em- 

 phasizes this matter because he has so often seen trees heeled in 

 carelessly without opening the bundles and without tramping 

 the soil down carefully, with the result that the air passing 

 down through the centre of the bundles would circulate freely 

 among the roots and dry them out so as to weaken seriously, or 

 even kill outright, a good many trees. 



FIG. 16. Heeling in nursery stock. This should be done very carefully to prevent the 



roots drying out. 



Where trees arrive in bad condition from drying in transit, 

 they should be taken to a brook or to a pond and soaked for a 

 day or two, if possible having the whole tree under water. It is 

 surprising what this will do for even the worst cases. 



Another thing to guard against at the time of heeling in is 

 damage from mice. They will frequently gain entrance to a 

 bundle of trees, particularly if the trees are stored near the 

 house, and girdle every tree in the bundle. Where mice are 

 plentiful enough to be troublesome in this way, they should be 

 guarded against by putting a pen about the spot where the trees 



