48i 



PLANTING OF TREES. 



A tree planted an3'how docs not grow as satisfactorily as one 

 properly planted, and the usual coolie method of just making a hole 

 and putting the plant in, giving it a little water and leaving it to live 

 or die as it chooses, generally has poor results. One of the com- 

 monest blunders here is caused by not filling up the hole properly. 

 A hole is dug, the soil more or less mixed with leaf mould and cow- 

 dung, filled to the top or nearly so and the plant put in. The result 

 is that the loose soil sinks to several inches below the surface of the 

 surrounding ground, and the plant appears in a small pit. Into this 

 rain water pours and the plant's roots are sodden and the unhappy 

 thing dies or at least has a hard struggle for life. The soil should be 

 raised to at least six inches above the surrounding ground so that the 

 plant is at first on a mound which sinks as the earth settles, so as to 

 bring the plant in a few days into its proper position. I have often 

 seen rubber trees planted in pits in the regular coolie method much 

 to their detriment. Another thing is of importance and that is to press 

 the earth tight round the tree after planting it. Some time ago, in 

 Bulletin 8., 1909, p. 239, we published an account of tree planting 

 from experiments made by Mr. Pickering, of the Woburn Experimen- 

 tal Fruit Farm. Similar experiments have been carried out in the 

 West Indies with oranges, mangoes, limes, and rubber, castilloa, and 

 an account has been published in the West Indian Bulletin 

 vol. xi p. 50, with photographs of trees planted (a) in the ordinary 

 way carefully; (b) carefully planted and rammed with a heavy 

 rammer till the whole was thoroughly puddled and the ground shook 

 like a jelly ; (c) carelessly planted, roots heavily pruned and rammed ; 

 fd) carelessly planted, roots heavily pruned and not rammed ; (e) 

 carelessly planted and rammed. The results seemed to show that 

 the trees carefully planted and not rammed were the best, and next 

 came those under treatment, (b). Carelessly-planted trees in no case 

 seem to do well. 



Probably the amount of ramming desirable depends on the kind 

 of soil in which the plant is growing. It is a fact that a number of our 

 fruit trees, such as Rambutans, are killed by putting a few feet of soil 

 over the roots. Thus, in cases where low-lying ground bearing an or- 

 chard is filled in for say two feet with the ordinary clay soil, a large per- 

 centage of the trees will quickly die. This may be due to the heavier 

 weights on the roots, or their being more compressed, and it is 

 possible that this heavy ramming may have the same effect. The 

 experiments would be well w(K'th trying with rul>bcr Irccs here. They 

 Alow at leaot that carcful-pLuiling pay o. — Ed. 



