TREE PLANTING DEEDED IN TEXAS. 19 



young tree to furnish support and hold it upright in the ground. This 

 may be clone by wrapping a piece of common garden hose, through which 

 a wire has been run. around the trunk and attaching the ends of the 

 wire to the tops of the supports. After the tree has been planted and 

 staked a wire netting, close meshed chicken wire will answer, may be 

 placed around the trunk to protect the tree from mechanical injuries 

 incident to street traffic. 



The width of spacing between the trees in street planting depends 

 upon the species planted and the local conditions. Some species need 

 more room for crown and root expansion than others. The space avail- 

 able for planting, the cost and various other factors must also be con- 

 sidered. For most city planting under average conditions a spacing 

 of 30 to 35 feet apart is considered standard. 



In planting trees in yards or similar situations where growing con- 

 ditions are less severe than in street planting the size of the planting 

 stock is relatively unimportant and the trees may be smaller or larger 

 than is necessary for street planting. Transplanted trees, however, will 

 respond more quickly, grow faster and give the best -results. Conifers 

 should in general be used only for yard planting in this State and stock 

 three or more years old and at least one transplanted should always be 

 selected. Hardwoods, when used for yard planting, should be two or 

 more years old but should not be larger than three inches in diameter 

 one foot from the ground unless unusual precautions are taken in 

 planting. 



SHELTERBELT AND WOODLOT PLANTING. 



In both these types of planting the trees used should be smaller than 

 for street and yard planting. Small trees are better able to stand the 

 shock of transplanting and the labor and expense of planting are les- 

 sened. When planting hardwoods use trees from eighteen to thirty 

 inches in height and for conifers use transplanted trees appproximately 

 twenty-four inches in height. The planting of seeds directly in the 

 final site is not advocated since experience has shown that good results 

 are seldom secured by this method. 



Previous and careful preparation of the planting site is essential for 

 the best results. Deep plowing during the previous May or June, fol- 

 lowed by surface cultivation during the rest of the growing season, 

 will keep down the growth of grass and weeds and help to conserve the 

 soil moisture. Such preparation also insures a soil, free from coarse 

 material, which will pack closely around the roots of the trees. Sod 

 bound or clayey, compact soils with an impervious subsoil should be 

 deeply plowed two years before the planting and the sod or heavy soil 

 worked down. Such treatment kills out the native grasses and renders 

 the soil loose and porous. Splendid results have been obtained by plow- 

 ing under and disking a cover crop of cowpeas previously grown on the 

 planting site. 



Two methods of setting out the trees may be used : plow or hole plant- 

 ing. Planting with a plow is the cheapest and quickest method if the 



