20 AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS. 



trees are sufficiently small and a large number are to be planted. Lay 

 out the tree rows, marking them along their length and. at each end 

 by stakes. Plow down the row and deepen this furrow by plowing 

 back again, the finished furrow then being eight to twelve inches in 

 depth. Hold the tree by its top, the roots being in the bottom of the 

 furrow, and plant by pulling the soil in from the sides and tamping 

 it firmly around the roots with the feet. When the planting is com- 

 plete the trees should be upright in the rows and about one inch deeper 

 in the ground than they grew in the nursery. The entire length of the 

 furrow is then filled level with the surrounding surface. No hills or 

 ridges should be left along the rows. It is advisable to plow only one 

 or two furrows at a time as the soil dries out quickly and in such con- 

 dition is injurious or fatal to the young trees. 



Planting in holes is the best method if the trees are of fairly large 

 size, the growing conditions are unfavorable or there are not many 

 trees to be planted. Make the hole large enough to accommodate the 

 entire root system of the tree. Set the tree upright in the hole, taking 

 care to spread out the roots. Fill the soil in around the roots and tamp 

 firmLy with the feet. To finish the planting it may be advisable to 

 water each tree after it has been set. 



In shelterbelt and woodlot planting the spacing of the trees is gov- 

 erned by the purpose for which the planting is made. For shelterbelts, 

 since density is the main requisite, four-foot spacing in the rows with 

 the rows eight feet apart is good practice. This spacing between the 

 rows, while wide enough to permit of easy cultivation^ will also force 

 height growth, shorten the time necessary for the crowns to close and 

 automatically help to check the growth of weeds and grass. Where 

 rainfall is insufficient a spacing of eight feet each way admits of cross 

 cultivation and has given satisfactory results. 



For fence post planting the trees may be spaced four feet apart in 

 the rows with the rows six feet apart. This somewhat closer spacing 

 forces height growth and produces the straighter, cleaner stems desired 

 in fence post trees and at the same time admits of cultivation. Under 

 extremely dry land conditions a wider spacing is perhaps desirable or 

 else thinnings should be made earlier in the life of the plantation. 



When planting for fuel the spacing may be wider than for either of 

 the types mentioned. In a fuel wood plantation the form of the tree 

 is not so important as the production of wood, and wider spacing makes 

 for spreading crowns, rapid growth and a consequently higher yield 

 in wood. 



SPECIES FOR PLANTING. 



When selecting tree species for planting in Texas the State should 

 be considered by sections rather than as a whole. Factors of soil and 

 climate vary so widely that trees entirely suitable to one region may 

 fail in another. In East .Texas growing conditions are unusually favor- 

 able and most of the tree species found in the eastern and northern 

 States may be grown. Farther west more compact soils, less rainfall, 

 drying winds with increased evaporation and more intense sunlight 



