October, 1910 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



119 



the last analysis, than the settlement of the question to the satisfaction of one authority, and thai as regards the needs of his field of 

 personal endeavor. 



The emphasis placed on the distinction between fall transplanting on one's own grounds, where a good ball of earth is always 

 possible, and planting nursery stock sent from a distance is interesting, especially as applied to evergreens. In some cases also quite 

 as strong an emphasis is placed on these four points : Fall affords more time for thorough work; fall planting practically assures firm 

 establishment of roots before summer; mulching after fall planting prevents drying winds from depriving the soil of the moisture that is 

 essential to success; every planter must, in the end, use his own judgment as to whether he shall do all or any of his planting in the fall.] 



\ ^/"ITH few exceptions, I regard the fall as 

 ^ ^ the best time for planting most decidu- 

 ous trees and shrubs, and I think this rule will 

 apply with safety to the New England and 

 Northeastern States. In the West and North- 

 west, where severe drought commonly occurs 

 in the fall, and fierce sweeping winds with 

 deep freezing of the ground in winter are 

 the normal conditions, fall planting is 

 probably inadvisable. 



I have planted large quantities of de- 

 ciduous trees and shrubs in western New 

 York during the past nineteen years in 

 both spring and fall, and I have no hesitation 

 in saying that in the rapid start made in 

 growth, and in by far the smallest percentage 

 of losses, fall planting is immensely superior 

 to spring planting. I can imagine the query: 

 if fall planting is so much more advantageous 

 than spring planting, why do you not follow it 

 entirely? The answer is, without going 

 into details, that we are compelled through 

 certain exigencies to plant in the spring. 



Fall planting should be done as soon as 

 the leaves have finished their functions for 

 the season — • any time after the middle of 

 October, and, in sections where the winter 

 sets in early, about the first of the month. 

 There is no doubt that trees and shrubs suffer 

 less from the shock of removal when they 

 are in a condition of inactivity than when they 

 are in active growth. In the spring season 

 many plants, such as lilacs, loniceras, ribes, 

 sorbarias, many spiraeas, willows and some 

 aesculus — start early into growth. If the 

 spring planting is delayed, they are apt to 

 be in full leaf. It will take them all summer 

 to form a few roots, and the growth will be 

 feeble. If the season should be dry, there 

 will surely be a large percentage of losses. 



Papaws, persimmons, tulip-trees and mag- 

 nolias are, as a general rule, best planted in 

 spring. Their roots are soft and fleshy, and 

 if planted in heavy cold soils in the fall they 

 are apt to rot in winter. I have, however, 

 planted them in the fall with perfect success, 

 but in conditions where the soil was warm 

 and well drained. 



Rochester, N. Y, John Dunbar. 



Decided Advantages in Fall 



I prefer fall planting for deciduous trees 

 and shrubs, but August or midwinter for 

 evergreens. I moved some large pieces 

 last winter with great success. I dug large 

 balls, and when they were thoroughly frozen 

 I jacked them up and moved them on a 

 stone-boat. 



I have made quite extensive plantings in 

 fall, and always with good success, but trees 

 that are not considered iron-clad in their 

 hardiness, such as magnolias, I haven't 

 handled in fall. I planted some trees in the 

 fail of [908. I put in a lane of elms, 220 



trees alia fair size, running 2§ to 3-^ inches, 

 and I didn't lose a single one. At the same 

 time I planted a lane of yellow locust, 68 

 trees in all. These I got from the woods on 

 the north side of Long Island, and I never 

 lost one of them. They were trees that would 

 average about two inches. I put in the nur- 

 sery the balance out of 100 of these at the 

 same time and didn't lose a solitary one, but 

 this spring I moved those 32 trees to various 

 parts of the place and I lost about six of them. 

 They should have moved better the second 

 time because they had been once trans- 

 planted, and you can't blame it on the sea- 

 son, as we have had an excellent spring for 

 newly planted stock. Beeches I also prefer 

 to move in fall, although those that have 

 attained any size I would prefer to dig in 

 winter and let them freeze. I consider this 

 an A-i method for large stuff. In fact, 

 with the proper tackle, I prefer it to the 

 whole-root system. 



I received a carload of Rhododendron 

 maximum last fall. It was so late that the 

 nurseryman from whom I ordered them 

 didn't vdsh to supply me. He said I would 

 lose them all, but I was to assume the risk, 

 so he shipped them. I lost four out of the 

 150, but, of course, I cared for them, 

 mulched them well, and protected them with 

 pine boughs. 



Last fall we bought a collection of 100 

 evergreens, all in tubs. I took great 

 care with them, plunging the tubs in a 

 sheltered place and further protecting with 

 a mulch and a covering of pine boughs; 

 but we lost 32. They were supposed to be 

 established, but they were all newly tubbed 

 and, of course, it was too late for such work. 



Islip, L. I. M. C. McCoLLOM. 



Fall Best for the South 



In the middle and southern parts of this 

 country, especially wherever the texture of 

 the soil is naturally dry and warm, all trees 

 of a hardy and deciduous habit can, and 

 where possible should, be transplanted as 

 early in the fall as growth ceases and the 

 young wood is well hardened off; because 

 the latter condition is essentially coupled 

 with assured success. 



Any soil naturally wet, or becoming soaked 

 with water early in the fall and frozen, is 

 unfit for planting trees (unless of a semi- 

 aquatic habit, as willows, etc.) until it has 

 been thoroughly drained, as there are 

 few deciduous trees that will succeed where 

 the roots remain continually in water. 

 Therefore my suggestions for fall planting 

 refer to soils which have either been prepared 

 by good cultivation and made friable or 

 are naturally mellow; all soils retentive of 

 humidity should be avoided until this char- 

 acteristic is removed. 



Again referring to suitable warm and 

 mellow soils, and where available, fall plant- 

 ing is by far preferable to spring planting, 

 and this operation may continue during the 

 winter, provided that when the weather is 

 freezing the work ceases. But it should be 

 well understood that in all sections where the 

 winter climate is mild, vegetation, although 

 inactive during the winter months for the 

 formation of leaves and neiv wood, is never 

 so as to inducing new root growth. There- 

 fore, whenever practicable, transplant a hardy 

 fruit or ornamental tree as early in the fall 

 as the ground is ready and the tree in matured 

 condition, because sufficient new rootlets 

 will have been formed to give it a firm hold 

 in the ground and cause it to grow off more 

 rapidly when the normal spring vegetation 

 commences, than will a spring-transplanted 

 tree freshly removed from the nursery. 

 Furthermore, such a tree can better withstand 

 the danger connected with summer drought, 

 which causes the loss of so many spring- 

 transplanted trees. Take up a tree in the 

 fall, heel it in a trench during winter, dig it 

 up in spring and the numerous new rootlets 

 which it will show will be the best argument 

 in favor of fall planting. Upon this, as well 

 as the experience of a very extensive tree 

 planter and nurseryman during more than 

 fifty years, I base my opinion. 



Should transplanting be unavoidably de- 

 layed until spring, give a generous mulching 

 of coarse manure, litter, leaves, or any 

 material that will keep the surface of the soil 

 mellow and prevent evaporation, as this will 

 also guard against summer drought. These 

 suggestions refer to hardy classes of well- 

 hardened-off fruit and ornamental trees, 

 but not to those of an evergreen habit, 

 which are usually best transplanted in the 

 spring when the soil has lost its winter 

 frigidity. Broad-leaved evergreens always 

 succeed better when defoliated so soon as 

 taken from the nursery. 



Maiden fruit trees, of one year's vigorous 

 growth or with a single stem and this cut 

 back to a height of two or three feet, are 

 preferable to older and heavily branched 

 trees, because the maiden tree will grow off 

 more readily and reach the bearing period 

 sooner than an old tree set out at the same 

 time, but whose growth is always checked 

 by removal and often requires two years to 

 recuperate. 



Augusta, Ga. P. J. Berckmans. 



Depends on Weather 



Our experience leads us to believe that it 

 depends entirely upon the weather as to 

 whether or not fall planting will be successful. 



In the fall of 1908 we planted out quite 

 a few thousand small seedling evergreens in 

 nursery rows, but we had a long continued 



