AND CITY BEAUTIFUL, 



87 



Trees Heeled In 



This consists of removing them from bundles and tem- 

 porarily covering their roots with soil, allowing the stems 

 to slant away from the sun. If the plants have become 

 very dry, it is advisable to lay them down and cover their 

 full length with soil. Heeling-in is the best done on the 

 north side of buildings. All broken or bruised roots should 

 be removed, leaving a clean cut surface which quickly 

 heals. The top should usually be cut back about one third. 

 In poor soils, trees will make better growth if a supply of 

 stable manure is mixed with the soil, put into the hole after 

 the roots are covered. Manure should not come in contact 

 with the roots. Large trees may be transplanted, but re- 

 quire much care. A ball of earth should be taken up with 

 them, if possible. It is better to root prune by digging a 

 trench around each tree the previous year, cutting all the 

 roots. This trench should be about one-sixth of the 

 height of the tree from the trunk, i e., a tree 25 feet high 

 would have a trench, four feet from the trunk, eight feet 

 in diameter. Large trees should be set immediately after 

 digging, and a stream of water should always be used to 

 settle the soil about the roots. Street trees as maples and 

 elms should not be set closer than 30 to 40 feet apart. 

 Young trees well pruned and set, grow shapely with little 

 additional care if unmolested. Crossing branches should 

 be removed. If there is a tendency to become unsymetrical, 

 the ends of the longest branches should be cut off. Shrubs 

 should be planted in well tilled borders and trees do bet- 

 ter when dug about and fertilized. Care should always 

 be taken not to injure roots. 



