THE COUNTRY HOME [CHAPTER 
with water; and when you have obtained your 
trees, wet the roots constantly as each one is set in 
its place. We call it puddling the roots, because 
we pour the water in until the ground is soaked. 
In digging and carrying evergreens, be sure that 
the roots are never exposed to the sun or the wind. 
As soon as out of the ground, wrap them with wet 
matting or with wet straw. If not planted as soon 
as dug, puddle the roots in a pond or brook. When 
you plant, draw out only one at atime. Evergreens, 
however, do not like to stand in wet soil —that is, 
most of them do not. The hemlock will grow in a 
swamp, but does much better on well-drained, high 
land. As soon as your windbreak or hedge is 
planted, mulch it. Use either coal ashes or saw- 
dust. Always bear in mind that barnyard manure 
must not come near the roots of fruit trees or ever- 
greens—or, for that matter, anything that you 
plant on your lawns. A top dressing of thoroughly 
decomposed manure will do no harm, but is not 
advisable. As soon as your tree is set, or sooner, 
if more convenient, cut back very sharply. Bring 
all the plants into shapeliness—removing from one- 
third to two-thirds of the wood. Your hedge will 
not be beautiful till after several years of careful 
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