T HE practical advantages of fall planting are obvious 
— in the first place there is an abundant leisure, as 
compared to the feverish rush of spring which brings 
with it such a multitude of duties that are insistent 
for attention. Indeed there is much that comes with 
the spring that cannot possibly be attempted now, so that it is 
but the part of wisdom to accomplish now, in the month of 
October, anything and everything that can be taken out of the 
spring activities. Naturally any transplanting about one’s 
own garden is the first necessity; but, in addition, all kinds of 
deciduous stock — trees and shrubs, including fruits of practi- 
cally every kind — may be handled now from the nurseries. And 
the great practical point in favor of handling nursery stock now 
is that the fall dies into winter much more gradually than the 
winter awakens into spring. The 
gardener who leaves all his work 
till spring never accomplishes as 
much as he plans to do. 
Now, all this is not to be ac- 
cepted as an argument against 
spring planting. Far from it, in- 
deed, for taking into considera- 
tion all plants in all parts of the 
country, spring planting is per- 
haps generally most successful. 
In spring the planter is favored 
by the fact that the awakening 
growth of the plant itself is an 
active factor in its taking hold 
of the ground and establishing 
itself in the new location. In 
fall the planter must be more 
careful to be an actual planter 
and must take steps to make the 
roots snug and comfortable for 
the long winter rest. The actual 
work of planting on heavy soil 
needs care to see that the hole 
made for the reception of the 
roots is sufficiently large so as not 
to form a sort of catch basin that 
will collect and hold water where 
it will freeze and so “heave” the 
entire plant out of contact with 
the soil. 
Mulching is the great insur- 
ance against this risk, and during 
a severe winter — such as that of 
1919-1920 — the neglect to plant 
and mulch properly is the reason 
for the appalling death list when 
the count is taken in the spring. 
Water during the ninter, may be a necessity to newly set out 
plants especially if there be no snow mantle, and artificial irriga- 
tion may be called for. All plants do not behave equally in 
respect to the winter water demand, and it is the experience of 
years that plants having spongy roots, or having very thin bark, 
and those with a sparsely branched but wide reaching root 
system are only riskily planted in the fall. Again, exposure 
to wind and snow is to be considered and it is often essential to 
provide adequate shelter for late planted material. 
But, quite apart from those somewhat difficult subjects there 
is an abundance of material that may be handled at this time, 
and in most sections of the country. This includes nearly all 
the usual ornamental flowering trees and shrubs, and orchard and 
small fruits excepting, for example, Magnolia, Birch, Peach, 
and Cherry. 
Finally, since gardening is not 
what may be termed an “exact 
science” the wise gardener will 
listen to and be guided by the 
experiences of local practice; and 
he may also feel assured that no 
reliable nurseryman will accept 
orders for immediate delivery if 
in his judgment and experience 
conditions are not propitious, 
whether from his own standpoint 
or that of his customer. But 
whatever the decision as to this 
fall's planting there is no ques- 
tion whatever as to the advant- 
age of having the order on file, 
for later delivery. First come, 
first served. 
T IS a great pleasure to intro- 
duce personally to our readers 
Mr. Ernest H. Wilson — “Chi- 
nese” Wilson — even though, in 
doing so, we, and they, are 
simultaneously bidding him good- 
bye, for a long time. The “Ro- 
mance of the Trees” series from 
his pen was concluded in last 
month’s issue. These articles re- 
vised and extended are shortly to 
appear in book form. As Mr. 
Wilson descended the steps of the 
Administration Building of the 
Arnold Arboretum, on the day 
this picture of him was made, he 
was actually beginning another 
of his great journeys into remote 
MR. ERNEST H. WILSON, M. A., V. M. H. 
Assistant Director, Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University 
His writings in The Garden Magazine have done much to popularize 
exact knowledge about the best trees and shrubs for our gardens. Now 
on a world wide tour to the most famous botanical gardens 
105 
