CARE OF THE WOODLAND 211 



and columbines for the East, as a ground cover will put 

 the finishing touches to the forest scene. 



As to methods of planting the little trees, the following 

 suggestions may prove of value. As soon as the plants 

 are received, they should be taken from the box and dipped 

 in a thick puddle of water and loam. The roots must be 

 thoroughly covered with the mud. Then the bundles 

 into which the little trees are tied should be loosened and 

 the trees placed in a trench dug on a slant. The dirt should 

 be placed over the roots and the exposed parts of the plants 

 covered with brush or burlap to keep away the rays of the sun. 



When ready for planting, a few plants are dug up, set in 

 a pail with thin mud at the bottom and carried to the place 

 of planting. The most economical method of planting 

 is for one man to make the holes with a mattock. These 

 holes are made about a foot -in diameter, by scraping off 

 the sod with the mattock and then digging a little hole in 

 the dirt underneath. A second man follows with a pail 

 of plants and sets a single plant in this hole with his hands, 

 see Fig. 129, making sure that the roots are straight and 

 spread out on the bottom of the hole. The dirt should 

 then be packed firmly around the plant and pressed down 

 with the foot. 



Improvement by cutting: The removal of certain trees 

 in a grove is often necessary to improve the quality of the 

 better trees, increase their growth, make the place accessible, 

 and enhance its beauty. Cutting in a wooded area should 

 be confined to suppressed trees, dead and dying trees and 

 trees badly infested with insects and disease. In case of 

 farm woodlands, mature trees of market value may be cut, 

 but in parks and on private estates these have a greater 

 value when left standing. The cutting should leave a 

 clean stand of well-selected specimens which will thrive 



