EVERGREENS. 



He does not try to do so much that he cannot super- 

 vise things himself. I have had trees three weelcs on the 

 •wa.\'. and nearly dried out through evaporation from the foli- 

 age, and yet plunged immediately Into thick mud and planted 

 I have sometimes lost not over two per cent. It is Just as 

 easy to handle evergreens and just as sure as it is to plant 

 Elms or Ash, and there should be no more loss and need not 

 be. I wish it to be distinctly understood that it is just as easy to 

 raise an evergreen as a deciduous tree. Once establish this 

 fact and you will have evergreens in 'abundance. They should 

 be \ery carefully dug so as to get all the roots possible. Then 

 to. avoid call danger they should be immediately dipped into_ a 

 puddle of mud, stiff enough to completely coat the roots. This 

 seals them up from the air. In puddling them the richest loam 

 should be used. When this process was first used clay was 

 taken, but it was found that this made a hard povering through 

 wliieh the tiny rootlets could not penetrate. If you take the 

 richest earth you can find, the tree is virtually planted from 

 the start, and I have often received trees the new root? of 

 which had already penetrated the coating. They commenced 

 growing ou' the way. After the mud has stiffened a, little, then 

 pack them. Mr. "W. usually packs a double tier, roots against 

 roots in the center of the box, and the tops towards the 

 ends which are open for the trees to breathe. If evergreens are 

 packed in a tight box they will immediately begin to heat. The first 

 box I ever received was so hot many of the trees were ruined. 

 Tour box has a strong cleat in the centre. Lay some paper or 

 moss over this and then put in two or three layers root to root. 

 Now pile in plenty of wet moss. Don't be afraid of it; use no 

 substitutes. Excelsior and rotted leaves will not do; anything 

 but moss is a failure. After putting a few layers, put cleats 

 across them — good strong ones. Get onto them and press them 

 down all you can, and nail them by driving into the ends 

 through the sides of the box. Now fill up with moss and cover 

 the cleats so they will not bruise the trees. Put on more 

 layers, and then use more cleats. Everything de- 

 pends on having them, solid. Do the best you 

 can, there is a constant evaporation from the needles, and 

 they may get dry, but if packed so solidly that the air can- 

 rot get in they will be safe with that mudeoat and moss. , I 

 once collected a lot of evergreens in the mountains and ship- 

 ped to one of the U. S. Government stations.. When the bill 

 was presented report was returned "your trees came dry." 

 However, they had accepted and planted them. Fortunately 

 they had fallen into good hands, and when I visited the sta- 

 tion they were doing far better than nursery-grown trees 

 shipped from; the East and there was no trouble In getting pay 

 for them. Of course, if possible, trees should be packed so wet 



