CHAPTER XIII. 



Treatment of Young Trees after Planting. 



In cold and moist climates, young trees do not require much attention 

 to be paid to them after planting. Here, however, where the climate is 

 dry and uncertain, the reverse is the case ; and upon their proper care 

 or neglect after being put out into the plantation, so will the result be 

 success or failure. It matters not how carefully the trees may have been 

 reared and planted, if they are not attended to judiciously afterwards, 

 the plantation is sure to be unsatisfactory. I think a much better result 

 would be obtained from planting ioferior plants and putting them under 

 good management afterwards, than would flow from the planting of 

 good trees and letting them alone as soon as they were put out. 



The subjectwhichweareabouttoconsiderisoneof which, unfortunately, 

 the most of plantex-s in this country do not seem to recognise its impor- 

 tance. I have frequently seen fine young plantations ruined from pure 

 neglect and want of attention after their formation. It is to be hoped, 

 therefore, that these lines will tend to a better state of things in this 

 respect in the colony. I now proceed to give some general directions 

 in this matter. 



It will sometimes be found that the plants gxown in pots are of such 

 a spindley character, that they cannot support themselves. This, unfor- 

 tunately, is frequently the case, as they are '"drawn up" by being kept 

 too long under cover. As I already said, avoid plants of this character 

 as much as possible, but it wiU of course sometimes happen that plants 

 of the kind wiU be used. In this case, it is necessary that they be 

 properly staked for the fii-st few years after planting, until they have 

 established themselves in their sites. It takes a long time for trees 

 which have been drawn up to recover themselves properly and again 

 become shapely and strong plants. Indeed, I question very much if 

 they ever sufficiently recover themselves to make good trees. Plants 

 of this character should certainly never be used for ornamental purposes. 



Should the weather 'be dry at the time of planting, it will give the 

 young plants a good chance to recover the effects of removal and strike 

 their roots into the soil of their new site, if a good soaking of water be 

 given to them immediately after they are planted. Of course this 

 can only be done where a few hundreds of trees are planted ; as the 

 operation, although beneficial, could not — on the score of expense — be 



