32 EVERGREENS. 



ball of earth, tor they are evergreens and would die If ship- 

 ped lilfe Apple and Pear trees 



A Arm on Long Island, N. T., ordered fifty fine Pungens of 

 me one fall. Now the fall is a bad time to handle them, but 

 they stipulated for the ball of earth. The trees were eighteen 

 inches tall and I put four or five together with all the earth 

 that would adhere to them and sent them on. They were 

 three weeks on the way, but they arrived in the best of order, 

 and were immediately planted out and made a fine growth. If 

 you have a large tree, dig it with the greatest care and then 

 bind up the ball of earth tight with burlap. Dig a hole for It 

 and set it in. burlap and all. if you choose. Put fine earth 

 about it, pack it solid. Always plant a tree, like this, in a 

 depression that will hold a barrel of water, for it may need 

 watering some the first year, and a little sprinkling on the sur- 

 face will not answer. I have known people to water with the 

 hose every day all summer, still the trees would die in spite 

 of them for not a drop of water had reached the roots. 



In one of our western cities I passed by the grounds of a. 

 gentleman who took great pride in his trees. "What is the 

 matter with my elms?" he asked. "I paid a great price for 

 them and they are dying." "The roots are dry" I said. "That 

 can't be. for I have given them water every day. See for your- 

 self." I went to examine them and sank in the mud half way 

 to my shoe tops. He laughed and said "Now you see you were 

 mistaken." "No I am not, the roots are dry; I will show you." 

 He got a spade and used it with vigor and sure enough his 

 trees might as well have been in a bed of ashes. "Well, that 

 beats me." "What shall I 'do?" "Dig a hole as close to the 

 tree as you can, and then run in a full barrel of water. Let 

 that soak in and fill it again. You must wet those roots." He 

 did so. Two days after I went that way; the drooping leaves 

 were erect and the whole company of them seemed to say, 

 "Thank you, sir." 



If you plant a fine evergreen in your lawn take care of it, 

 especially for a year or two, till it is well established. You 

 should allow no grass to grow around it. Keep it well culti- 

 vated or mulched and it will reward you with a sturdy growth 

 and a bright foliage. Keep the dogs away from. it. Their 

 system of irrigation is death. 



Transplanting From the Seed Bed. On the United States 

 Government -grounds on the Dismal river the trees are planted 

 in rows. Two boards are placed together with hinges a little 

 distance apart. The seed is scattered along with the edges 

 of the boards lifted, and they fall in a row in the center where 

 they are covered. When they are a year or two old a root prun- 

 er is run under themi to cut off the tap roots, and make the 

 rootlets spread more near the surface. It is thought much 



