PLANTING SEASON 113 



On the other hand, these dangers are largely avoided 

 when spring planting is adopted. 



In the majority of cases, it is nearly always preferable to 

 dig the pits some weeks before the trees are planted, as the 

 soil becomes more mellow and sweetened. However, on 

 well-drained, moist, light soil, this does not much matter. 

 But on any land inclined to be acid, it should be 

 adopted. 



On stiff clay soils great care is necessary. It is generally 

 a mistake to dig the pits in the autumn and plant them in 

 the spring, as they will become filled with water, and will 

 eventually dry with a " puddled," caked surface. They 

 should be dug at about the end of March, and planted up a 

 fortnight afterwards. 



As a general rule, it may be said that porous land in 

 sheltered localities should be planted in the autumn, but 

 that stiff land or exposed places should be planted in the 

 spring. 



And any localities subject to late frosts should be planted 

 as late in the spring as possible. 



So also, late spring planting should be adopted for 

 trees which are difficult to transplant, such as Corsican 

 Pine, Black Walnut, or tender species like Weymouth 

 Pine. 



On the whole, perhaps, broad-leaved trees and Larch 

 are more suitable for autumn planting than evergreen 

 conifers. 



In mid-winter planting must generally be suspended 

 on account of frosts. No planting should ever take 

 place if there be the least frost in the air or on the 

 ground. 



Damp, still, muggy days are the best for planting. 



It must be remembered that planting must always 

 be finished earlier in the case of trees which flush 

 their buds and leaves early, than where the reverse 

 is the case. And it must be finished sooner in the 

 South of England, than in the North of England or 

 Scotland. 



H 



