Evergreens For Present Planting— By John w. Duncan, 



Massa- 

 chusetts 



ENSURE SUCCESS BY OBSERVING A FEW SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS BEFORE THE PLANTS ARE PUT INTO THE GROUND 

 — THE CAUSES OF FAILURE, AND HOW THEY MAY BE AVOIDED — WHAT TO PLANT FOR SPECIAL EFFECTS 



TDLANT evergreens before the end 

 -*- of May, following upon the season 

 of planting the deciduous trees. The 

 secret of successful moving of evergreens 

 is to do the work just as they are begin- 

 ning a period of active growth. This occurs 

 twice in the year — once now, before the 

 summer opens, and again at the close of 

 summer, before the fall. The latter sea- 

 son offers advantages for the moving of 

 evergreens that cannot be attended to at 

 the present season; but the greatest num- 

 ber of people have the greatest success 

 when the work is done during May. 



There are plenty of good reasons why 

 we should all plant at least some ever- 

 greens. First of all, because they give 

 light and color to the garden during winter; 

 secondly, they act as windbreaks and 

 shelters from storm and wind, and in this 

 way may be made to add materially to the 

 comfort of the home in otherwise exposed 

 situations. 



Then in the summer time their quiet, deep 

 tones, seem to give an impression of cool- 

 ness that makes them welcome among 

 the more brightly colored deciduous and 

 flowering trees. 



No need to urge the planting of ever- 

 greens on large grounds — one does it 

 almost by nature; but if the grounds are 

 .small, there may be some hesitancy. What 

 a pity! For even the ordinary yard of the 

 suburban house lot will accommodate some, 

 and the number of suitable species is quite 

 extensive. There is considerable variety 

 in color, and a fair variety of form, 

 although all are of a generally conical 

 habit. The planter may suit his or her 

 own preferences, paying only little heed to 

 the surrounding materials — they will har- 

 monize, surely. 



The tall-growing species include spruces, 

 pines, and firs, and plants of these must- 

 not be set very close together, unless they 



are to be thinned out later. The best 

 size to plant is from two to three feet high. 

 Larger specimens will do well if properly 

 cared for, but the smaller size is the most 

 suitable for the amateur; and a larger 

 size of pine should not be planted under 

 any circumstances if a quick and vigor- 

 ous growth is wanted. 



PLANTING PRECAUTIONS 



Conifers are not really fastidious as to 

 soil. They prefer a light, sandy soil, but 

 they will do well in any well-drained soil 

 that is not too clayey. The preparation 

 of the hole should receive more attention 

 than it generally does — in fact, this is 

 the keynote to success. There is little 

 danger of having the hole too large. Make 

 it at least twice as wide as the spread of the 

 roots. Dig to a depth of two or two and a 

 half feet, and if the soil there is not good, 

 replace it with good loam, and you will be 

 glad in after years. 



When ready to plant, place the loose 

 loam in the bottom of the hole, treading 

 it firmly, and raising it so that it will be 

 higher in the centre, and just the proper 

 height to have the roots of the tree not too 

 deep. This will depend on the quantity 

 of roots the tree has, and as a safe guide 

 in planting, observe the mark where the 

 soil before touched the stem, and arrange 

 things so that the mark will be just under 

 the surface of the ground when the tree 

 is replanted. 



Never let the ground slope away from 

 the tree when the planting is finished, but 

 quite the contrary; make the slope toward 

 the tree, thus forming a basin near the 

 base to catch the rain and conduct moisture 

 to the roots. 



Before planting see that all the roots 

 which may have been broken or muti- 

 lated are carefully pruned off; simply a 

 clean cut with a sharp knife is sufficient. 



In placing the tree in the hole, put the roots 

 on the high place in the centre or little 

 mound of earth already spoken of, and 

 while holding the tree with one hand, care- 

 fully spread out all the roots with the other 

 so that they will not overlap, but each be 

 as free as possible to take hold and make 

 a growth in the new location. 



When filling in the hole, see that only 

 fine loam is nearest the roots, and as it is 

 being thrown in, tamp it firmly over and 

 in between the roots with a round piece 

 of wood about the size of a pickax handle. 

 When the hole is about half filled with 

 earth it may be filled up with water, 

 then allowed to stand for some time, till 

 the water soaks thoroughly away, when 

 the completion of filling with earth may be 

 accomplished. 



The tree, having been set, must be given 

 direct care during its first season. Here 

 is where so many failures rest! Give 

 regular and copious waterings, and dur- 

 ing the hot, dry weather of the coming 

 summer see that a mulch of litter or coarse 

 manure is kept around the tree — it will 

 prove of the greatest benefit. 



Never allow the roots to be exposed to 

 the air to cause death from drying up. It 

 is easy to kill the fine fibrous roots by dry- 

 ing, and it is these roots that the life of 

 the tree depends upon. It is wisdom to 

 make all ready for planting before the roots 

 of the tree are uncovered, or even before 

 the tree is received. 



And remember , these little facts: Do 

 not select a tree of too large a size; a small 

 tree will take hold better and grow more 

 quickly than a large one. In making the 

 soil firm among the roots, do not be afraid 

 to tamp thoroughly. Water thoroughly 

 when planting, and never plant an ever- 

 green tree when the soil is damp and sticky. 

 Plant the tree at the best time for the work, 

 just when the buds are about to start into 



Such highly colored kinds as the blue spruce are best used as accents Small evergreens massed into beds are effective all the year round 



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