^ TREE PLANTING AND PROTECTION 



upon its own "backbone," and where anything like an acre- 

 age is planted, one tree serves to shield another, so that arti- 

 ficial protection only adds to the expense. 



There has been so much demand throughout California 

 for some plan of street tree-planting that I am very glad to 

 here incorporate the instructions given by a most competent 

 committee in one of the smaller cities of the South, with the 

 hope that the specific instructions may be useful to other small 

 towns, while the general instructions cannot but be helpful to 

 the amateur tree-planter: 



"First, let the hole dug be of ample dimensions; for the 

 average nursling, say, four by six feet and four feet deep; 

 then fill in with good surface soil and mix in some manure. 

 When the tree is set, place the base at least three inches be- 

 low the surface of the sidewalk; press the soil firmly about 

 the ball or root ; shape a large saucer about the tree ; mulch 

 the surface with coarse manure and give the plant a thorough 

 watering. When hardpan is encountered, a blast should 

 be made at the bottom of the hole in order to allow water 

 and roots to penetrate deep into the soil. Arrangements can 

 be made through the leading nurserymen to provide men who 

 are licensed by the city to do blasting. The holes for plant- 

 ing, when practicable, should be prepared before planting- 

 day, especially so where blasting is required. 



"Where large holes are dug and refilled with good soil, 

 they should be thoroughly wet down, at least four days be- 

 fore the tree is planted. 



"When trees are planted on the dividing line between 



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