SKLECTION OF TKEES ANl> PLANTING. 



Successful planting depends very largely upon tlie condition of the 

 trees or plants at the time of planting. The best resnlts are generally 

 obtained, other things being equal, when the trees or plants are obtained 

 from local nurseries, and planted with little or no exposure to the 

 drying influence of the sun and air. The merits of Massachusetts 

 grown trees as compared with tliose grown in the extensive nurseries 

 in distant states are often discussed, and the latter condemned foi- 

 New England planting. While in many of the above mentioned nur- 

 series, owing to long experience, especial skill and a soil naturally 

 suited to the best growth, very fine trees are grown, perhaps bettei- 

 than are generally grown in small local nurseries, yet the danger from 

 injury in transporting so great a distance and the length of time from 

 the digging to transplanting, will make it <renerally safer to depend 

 upon home grown trees where they can be obtained. 



Great care must be exercised in digging, and if large quantities are 

 to be dug at once, as soon as a few are dug the roots should be pro- 

 tected by mats or blankets, or have soil thrown over them until all 

 are to be packed for transporting or taken to the field for planting. 

 In packing for shipping, no material is so good to keep the roots 

 moist and pievent their heating as clean sphagnum moss ; for short 

 distances moist straw or hay may answer very well for this purpose. 



Vigorous young plants are much better than those that have been 

 a very long time in growing to suitable size. The average age for 

 fruit trees and plants in the best condition for transplanting is about 

 as follows : Apijle. '^ years from bud ; I'ear. 3 years from bud ; Peach, 

 1 year from bud; Plum, 2 years from bud: Cherry. 2 years from 

 l»u<1 ; Quince, 3 years from cuttings or root graft ; Grape, 1 year No. 

 1, or 2 years No. 1, from cuttings or layers; Currant, 2 yeni's from 

 cuttings ; (looseberries, 2 years from cuttinjzs ; Raspberries and Black- 

 berries, 1 year from suckers or root cuttings ; Strawberries, only new 

 runners of last season's growth sliould lie used : the old plants hav- 

 ing black roots with the feeding suifaces so far from the crown that 

 when they are dug nearly all of them are destroyed. 



PREPARATION OF TREES AND PLANTS FOR PLANTIN(i. 



It is impossible to remove a tree from the nursery to the orchard 

 without injuring many of the larger roots, while nearly all the root- 

 lets and all of the root haii's will be destroyed by only a slight expos- 

 ure to the air. As there aie no feeding roots on the newly trans- 

 planted tree until new ones are formed, if none of the buds or shoots 



