CONDITIONS FOR PLANTING m 



ground. It is not desirable, however, to have a stratum of dry 

 earth below. This can be removed by irrigation when available. 

 Early planting of common orchard fruits is of advantage for sev- 

 eral reasons. First, an early-planted tree gets the full benefit of the 

 season's rainfall, whatever it may be, and a late-planted tree, in a 

 year with short rainfall, is apt to suffer during its first season's 

 growth, unless it can be irrigated. The two main things to observe 

 are the dormancy of the tree and the proper condition of the soil, 

 and both of these are most apt to coincide in many parts of Cali- 

 fornia about the first of January, but in heavy loams in region of 

 large rainfall, the soil may then be too cold and wet. There will, 

 however, be some variation from year to year, and different parts 

 of the State disagree as to the date. Hence, the general rule must 

 be based on conditions, that of the tree and that of the soil. If the 

 novice can not judge these for himself, he must get the advice of 

 some one of experience in the locality. 



The dormant period of a tree in California, as has been stated 

 in another connection, is very short. As many cold-climate annual 

 plants become perennial here, so our deciduous trees, in compara- 

 tively frostless portions of the State, evince a tendency to become 

 evergreen. The period of dormancy in the root is also shorter than 

 the inactivity of the top. Trees transplanted early are found to 

 have their root wounds callused over and new rootlets considerably 

 advanced before the buds swell. Therefore, by early planting the 

 tree begins soon to take hold upon the soil, the latter being well 

 settled around it by rains, which often follow early planting, and 

 the high winds, which are apt to come in the spring in some parts 

 of the State, find the tree well anchored and ready to maintain itself. 



Again, the proper condition of soil, if not seized at its first com- 

 ing, may not recur until after the great storms of the winter are 

 over, say in February or March (in most parts of the State), and 

 then often the buds are bursting into bloom and leaf. Planting 

 when the soil is water-soaked and cold is very undesirable, for in 

 such condition it can not be properly disposed about the roots, the 

 inactive roots may begin to decay and trees moved at this period are 

 apt to show their dislike of the treatment. If the work has been 

 delayed unavoidably, so that early planting can not be done, it is 

 better to keep the trees heeled in until the proper soil condition 

 returns, even if it be rather late, for a little extra attention to culti- 

 vation for retention of moisture will pull through a late-planted tree. 



These remarks are of very wide application in this State, but 

 there are exceptions. In our high altitudes, where the climate 

 approaches Eastern conditions in cold and snowfall, practice in 

 planting will also approximate Eastern methods. In regions of 

 very heavy rainfall and on the upper coast where the rainy season 

 and moisture from fogs are prolonged late in the spring, late planting 

 is safer and surer than in the warmer, drier parts of the State. 



