The American Garden 



Fol. XII. 



NOW COMEI.VHD WITH 



PoFULAR Gardening and Fruit Growing. 



U^Oy EMBER, )8cji. 



No. J J. 



QUICK GROWTH TN TREES. 



3 THE READER among those who fjucy it takes a long time, many years, to ob- 

 tain telling effects from tree planting ? We are not. Let us tell you why. On 

 our experiment grounds at La Sallf^ -on-the-Niagara are several scores of beau- 

 tiful pine trees, from five to six feet high. They wf-re planted in May, 1889, 

 twenty-seven months previous to this writing. At thai time they were small seed- 

 lings ten to twenty inches high ; to- day they are of a man's height, with massi\ e, 

 sjtreading foliage, such as results fioni healthy- growth in uncrowded quarters. 

 Iq a vear from now, say three years three months from planting, it is expected 

 that many of them will be fully ten feet high, with dense bottoms six feet across. 



Let us particularize regarding growth in the case of that beautiful lawn tree, 

 the white pine. We take this kind as aji example because at planting time tlie trees 

 were among the smallest of the lot — to-day they are of the largest. To the left 

 is seen the little seedling ten inches high, as it came from the nurser}' 

 in May, 1889. The second figure shows the same after the first sea- 

 son's growth had been completed. The next figure represents our tree 

 in the handsome form it had reached a year ago — a thing of perfect 

 beauty at that date. To the right is shown our subject at the end of the 

 present season's growth. It reaches nearly six feet in height. It is but 

 one of eight white pines in a mass, all planted at the same tim.e and approx- 

 imately of the same size. Can anything handsomer be imagined ? There 

 are many hundreds of other trees, shrubs and vines on our grounds, all 

 planted at the same time, which now make an equally good showing. 



How was it accomplished ? Not by high manuring, nor b}' sum- 

 mer watering- -it was as a result of less expense than that. We have 

 mentioned the secret before, but it will bear repeating for the benefit 

 of the tens of thousands of new readers this month: 



First, the planting was carefully done, not subjecting the ■.: 

 roots to the air a moment longer than necessary. Second, the 

 trees being set into ordinary garden land, each one 

 was treated to two shovelfuls of compost at plant- 

 ing time ; said compost was nine months old and 

 consisted of two parts rotted sod, one part manure. 

 It was worked in with the soil around the roots. 

 Third, the surface of the beds (cut into sward) has 

 been kept neatly cultivated and as clean as a clean 

 cornfield since the day of planting. To sum up : 



At pl.iut- 

 iuR, Mav, 

 1SS9. 



Size, 

 Auff., 

 1SS9. 



Size, 

 Aug., 

 1S90. 



Size of White Pine, Aug , iSpj, 

 27 months after planting. Fig- 

 ures indicate feet. 



The trees were given the simple decent treatment 



we give our corn patch. Such treatment to newly planted trees alv,. aj s gives surprising results. 



