34 



PLANTING. 



them may thereby be kept in their pro- 

 per position. Then let the soil be levelled 

 and raised so high, that there be a mound of 

 earth about three inches higher than the 

 border, to allow for settling. Always have 

 the edge of the mound a little higher than 

 the other part of it, so that it will hold the 

 water which will be applied, then let the 

 tree be fastened to the wall. It is greatly to 

 the advantage of newly planted trees to have 

 them mulched, (See the directions in the Chap- 

 ter on Mulching) this prevents the water 

 when poured on the ground from running 

 away, and occasions it to sink just where it 

 is desired. It also prevents the water from 

 washing away the soil, and protects the roots 

 from drought and frost, as well as the earth 

 from cracking. After this is done, let the 

 tree have about three gallons of water poured 

 over the roots, which assists the earth to settle 

 close about them, and is a far better practice 

 than that of shaking the tree at the time of 

 planting, which is so generally done in order 

 to get the soil to settle properly amongst the 

 roots. The bad effect of such a practice is, 

 that in raising up the tree, the roots are 

 drawn forward, and the soil then being light 

 about them, immediately closes up those 

 spaces from which the ends of the roots were 

 drawn, and when the tree is pressed down 

 again, the tender roots cannot force them- 

 selves forward into the spaces they previ- 



