season and desire successful effects. Thorough preparation of 
the soil, careful planting and attention during the first summer 
and "winter will eliminate many of the failures that follow 
Evergreen planting, provided that good stock has been selected 
and that your nurseryman has dug and delivered it with care 
and promptness. When you are moving trees and shrubs on 
your own place there is no excuse for failure as they need not 
be out of the ground for more than an hour. The holes should be 
ready before the trees are dug, as the roots should not be 
exposed to the air longer than is necessary. Preliminary care 
is the price you pay for ultimate success. 
Large trees should be root-pruned the year before moving 
to allow fibrous growth to form. Moving with a frozen ball 
can always be done provided the weather stays cold, often an 
uncertain thing around Philadelphia. Unless the hole has been 
prepared before frost sets in, however, digging is slow and pack- 
ing the earth difficult. Air about roots is fatal and as the 
frozen dirt thaws, the tree sinks, resulting in a hollow where 
water will lie. When possible, prepare the ground where your 
large trees are to go, by blasting (using £ lb. of dynamite), as 
it shakes up the ground, makes digging easier and you do not 
have to excavate so large a hole. Take out dirt from 18 to 30 
inches in depth, lay well rotted manure in the bottom of the 
hole and dig it in. Cover this with good soil so that no manure 
can burn the roots and firm it down. "We dig an ample ball, 
rope barrel-staves around it to hold the earth and then move 
to the hole, jarring as little as possible. "When the tree comes 
from a nursery and the earth has loosened in the burlap hold- 
ing the root ball, the roots should be examined, broken pieces 
cut off and the tree held straight while fine dirt is thrown in 
and well tamped. When the tree is set and the hole within 
six inches of the top, fill with water, allow to sink and level with 
good dirt in which a generous amount of bone meal has been 
worked. The bone meal will furnish nourishment until the roots 
reach the manure and will aid in forming small fibrous growth. 
"Watering Watering the foliage is quite as important as soaking the 
the ro °ts and should be done at the close of the day at least twice 
Foli ^.ge a "^eek. Keep the grass back far enough to prevent the reckless 
lawn mower from hitting the lower branches and spoiling the 
shape of the tree. This also applies to a group planting of Ever- 
greens with low Junipers tying it to the ground. Leave an ample 
margin of dirt around the edge and eliminate all grass and 
ground-covers for the first year at least. Working the ground 
thoroughly all summer is essential, particularly after heavy 
rains. Taller columnar forms should be well sheared for a few 
years to induce thick growth near the stem and if they are very 
tall, they should be tied to a cedar stake to prevent bending in 
the wind and loosening their young roots by rocking. If the 
240 
