DIGGING AND HANDLING EVERGREENS. 3.-) 



benefit Is dtrived from this process, for Instead ot a long tap 

 root you haxe a mass of fibrous ones. 



The rooi of a two-yeai--old seedling will be from twelve to 

 eighteen inches long, and if you are not careful you will cut oft 

 a. good poriion. A good way is to dig a trench by the sid4 

 of the bed und drift under, and spading off a gi'eat clump ol 

 them, and getting the root at full length. You need not dig a 

 hole as deep as the length of the root: vou can double it ud 

 in the hole as you plant it, and have the whole of it nourish tha 

 top for it is needed. In shipoing small trees and seedlings you 

 can save expressage by packing in snug bundles in wet moss. 

 Wrap them in oiled paper so there can Be no 

 evLporation from the roots. Roll them up in 

 buriap and bind as solid as possible. It is well 

 to put a. strap and buckle around them, and draw 

 them snug and then bind them. This is an excellent way to 

 treat small trees. But as they get larger, the stiff limbs will 

 rebel against too much pressure, and if you are to ship a quan- 

 tity they should be boxed. 



Since the first edition of this work I have made some suc- 

 cessful experiments with Pinus Ponderosa. It was not con- 

 venient to plant in the fall, so early in the spring I soaked 

 the seeds in warm water till they sprouted, taking the pre- 

 caution to change the water every 12 hours, so it would not 

 sour. They were planted in a well prepared bed and covered 

 with half an inch of fine earth. Precaution was taken to keep 

 the ground moist till they came up. 



They were a mass of vivid green. They grew all summer 

 in the full blaze of the sun. Often it was very hot and dry. 

 They were in such fine condition, I planted them out the fol- 

 lowing spring in the open. Had they grown under a screen 

 they would probably have sunburned. As it was they were 

 so well toughened they made a splendid stand and a vigorous 

 growth In one of the hottest and dryest seasons on record. 

 Next spring I tried again with the same results. I take our 

 nurserymen around to see them and show them there is no 

 bugaboo about the business, and it is one of the easiest things 

 in the world to raise these evergreens. 



