22 Grouting Forest Trees in Western Nebraska 



trees shipped so that they will arrive only a few days before you 

 expect to plant them. Do not accept shipments in the fall. The 

 nurserymen should be able to give the trees better care during 

 the winter than you can give. Of the cottonwoods and poplars, 

 use one-year-old rooted cuttings. These are cuttings grown 

 under favorable conditions one year. Of the common broad- 

 leaved or deciduous trees use one-year-old seedlings. Of the 

 evergreens it is probably best to use three-year-old transplants. 

 The foliage of these trees should be green, and the root system 

 well developed. 



CARE OF THE STOCK. Upon receiving the trees, they should 

 be unpacked and immediately placed in damp soil. It is well to 

 use plenty of water and it is very important to pack the soil 

 firmly about the roots. If convenient, it is an advantage to 

 have the trees under a roof where they will be protected from 

 the sun and the wind. With the evergreens care should be taken 

 to permit the air to circulate freely thru the tops. It will not 

 do to pack a great number of these together. Care must be 

 taken never to allow the roots to be exposed to the sun or the 

 air. 



PLANTING. Plant the trees only in moist soil. Choose a 

 cloudy or rainy day when the surface of the soil is wet. Plant 

 the trees deeper than they were in the nursery. Pack the soil 

 firmly about the roots; it cannot be packed too firmly. If a tree 

 is set so loosely that it can be pulled out easily by one's hand, 

 pull it out and reset it more firmly. Carry the trees in a bucket 

 of muddy water, or puddle the roots in mud slime and carry 

 the trees wrapped in a wet sack. Take the trees from the bucket 

 or sack and place them in the soil instantly. Leave two or 

 three inches of the top soil loose after the soil about the roots 

 has been packed firmly. It is quite essential that the evergreens 

 be protected from the sun and wind in order to get a fair stand. 



CULTIVATION. For several years give the trees the same 

 cultivation that you give a cornfield when you are cultivating it 

 as you should. Young trees are not likely to grow satisfac- 

 torily when they have to compete with weeds and grass for 

 moisture. Thoro cultivation with a loose surface mulch at all 

 times furnishes the most favorable conditions for the growth 

 of trees or other crops. 



