110 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



HOW TO PLANT. 



In working with trees and shrubs, remember that a plant is 

 a living organism and is as truly sensitive to neglect or ill treat- 

 ment as is an animal. In handling nursery stock, always be 

 careful to keep the roots moist. When received from the 

 nursery the bundles should at once be opened and the plants 

 carefully "heeled in." In case any of the plants are very dry 

 and withered, they should be completely covered with earth for 

 several days. In this way many plants which if set immediately 

 would die, may be saved. 



If a tree could be removed with all of its rootlets and placed 

 in the soil exactly as it stood before, it would suffer no check 

 in transplanting; but as this is impossible, a certain amount of 

 pruning must be done. Even with the best of care the mutila- 

 tion of the roots must be great, and with careless handling 

 nine-tenths of the root system may be destroyed. All the 

 bruised and broken roots should be cut off with a clean smooth 

 cut from the under side. 



Now with the depleted root system the capacity of the plant 

 for absorbing moisture from the soil is reduced to such an 

 extent that unless the leaf surface be also reduced, the loss by 

 evaporation soon causes the plant to wilt. Hence, before set- 

 ting, the top should be cut back to correspond with the roots. 



In cutting back the top, consider the habit of the plant and 

 the desired form. If it is wished to encourage a tendency to 

 spread, cut off the branch in each case just above a bud on the 

 outer side. If, on the other hand, a more upright habit is 

 desired, cut just above a strong bud on the inner side of the 

 branch. 



As a rule, a tree or shrub should not be set deeper than it sat 

 before removal and the hole should be large enough so that 

 none of the roots need be cramped. If the soil is not in good 

 condition, the labor of carting in good loam, in which to set the 

 plants, will be well expended. 



If but few trees or shrubs are to be set, it is well to use water, 

 in settling the earth about the roots. In any case, tramp the 

 soil firmly and leave a slight mound above the base of the tree. 



If the season is late, or if the soil is very dry, the roots should 

 always be mulched. Any coarse litter that will shade the 



