San Dimas Citrus Nurseries 



18 



Methods of Transplanting 



shipment it is removed to a shady place or packing house and 

 there carefully packed in damp moss in boxes. In loading in 

 wagons, after the roots are well covered or packed in wet straw 

 the tops should be covered over with a canvas or something of 

 this description to keep off the wind and sun. A great many 

 planters prefer their trees taken up in this manner as it insures a 

 much larger root system. 



A PERFECTLY GROWN TWO YEAR BDDDED CITRUS TREE. 



After the holes have been properly dug in the orchard, the driver 

 hands out one tree at a time to the planter, who holds it in position 

 for planting. During this operation one or two men are employed 

 to fill in the hole with good soil while all the time the planter 

 spreads the roots out carefully in their natural position. The 

 earth for filling in must be moist so the roots will not be dry by 

 the time the water is applied. After they are covered to a suffi- 

 cient depth, the planter presses the soil carefully around the tree 

 and it is then ready for the water, which should not be more than 

 fifteen to thirty minutes behind the planting. The sooner the 



water is applied the better it will be for the tree. The soil around 

 the tree should be thoroughly wet to insure it being properly 

 settled around the roots. After the tree has been irrigated, it is 

 necessary to go over it again before the ground is thoroughly 

 settled to straighten it up in its natural position, as the settling 

 of the earth is apt to cause it to lean out of line. After the tree 

 has been thoroughly irrigated it is necessary to go over it again 

 with the water in the course of from eight to fifteen days, depend- 

 ing on the condition of the soil and the weather. After this, all 

 conditions being favorable, it will stand thirty days between 

 irrigations. 



In following the balling method of transplanting, a trench is 

 dug alongside of the tree within six inches of it and to the proper 

 depth, the tap root then being cut off at the length desired. With 

 a sharp spade the bailer then cuts the earth away from the tree 

 leaving whatever is required for the proper size of the ball. This 

 leaves the roots undisturbed. The bailer then carefully lifts the 



BUDDED TREES TOPPED TO FORCE HEADING OUT, 



tree out of the trench and places it on a piece of burlap cut to the 

 required size while his assistant carefully lifts up the ends of the 

 burlap around the top of the ball and ties it up with binder twine or 

 something to answer the purpose and of sufficient strength. 

 By this method the ball is kept from breaking or being shaken up 

 in handling. In some cases, where the seedling stock budded 

 is very large, it is necessary before tying up the ball to cut the 

 tap root off even with the bottom of the ball with long-handled 

 pruning shears. When trees are balled, they will seldom wilt 

 or loose their foliage. The planting of balled trees is carried on 

 in very much the same manner as the open root method, with 

 the exception that it is not necessary to have the water applied 

 so soon. The ball will hold the moisture for quite a length of 

 time. It is best, however, to put the water on as soon as possible, 

 but it is not near so important as with the open root trees. Trees 

 can be handled with much more safety by the balling method 

 of transplanting, and with less risk of loss after transplanting. 



LAYING OFF THE GROUND FOR PLANTING. When 

 the nursery trees are ready for planting in orchard form, using 

 a five acre plot for example, planting twenty feet apart on the 

 square method, it will be necessary to run three headlines, one 



