ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 
369 
NEW YORK STATE PROGRAM, 1889. 
HOW TO PLANT TREES — WHAT TO PLANT. 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
FORESTRY DIVISION. 
Circular No. 5, 1889. 
ARBOR DAY PLANTING IN EASTERN STATES. 
The following circular has been prepared to answer inquiries from school 
superintendents and other officials as well as private individuals who are inter¬ 
ested in tree planting on Arbor Day. J. M. RUSK, 
Secretary. 
Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a circular giving brief instructions 
on selection of trees and manner of planting for Arbor Day purposes, to answer 
inquiries from school superintendents and others interested in Arbor Day. 
Respectfully, 
Hon. J. M. Rusk, B. E. FERNOW, 
Secretary. Chief of Forestry Division. 
Introductory. — Arbor Days in the Eastern States as a rule contemplate the 
planting of shade and ornamental trees mainly for the sake of creating a senti¬ 
ment and interest in tree planting and eventually in forest culture. 
The following suggestions do not refer to the educational features of Arbor 
Day, but are meant to give in the briefest manner such general advice in regard 
to the selection of trees for the occasion and to the manipulation of planting, 
as may aid teachers, pupils and others to perform the practical work of Arbor 
Day with reasonable hope of success. 
Time of Planting.— The day set for Arbor Day and the weather on that day 
may not always be the best for planting. Its fitness for an out-door celebration 
should govern the choice, while the planting may be done at a more suitable 
season. Spring, before the buds open (February to May) is as a rule the best 
time for transplanting — although with care it can be done all the year round — 
and a murky or cloudy day is preferable to a sunny one for that operation. 
Choice of Trees 
1. General Cotisiderations. — Trees for school grounds and yards, along road¬ 
sides and streets, must be such as are least liable to suffer from injuries; they 
should be compact and symmetrical in shape, free from objectionable habits, 
such as bad odors, root-sprouting, frequent dropping of parts, etc., and from 
insect pests, and if planted for shade, should have a broad crown and a dense 
foliage, budding early in spring and retaining leaves long into the fall. Absence 
of skillful hands at tree planting on Arbor Days would also limit the selection 
to those which are transplanted easily and require the least care. 
Trees native to the region in which the planting is done usually have more 
promise of success and are generally less costly than exotics. Trees from well- 
managed nurseries are preferable to those grown in the forest, because their 
root-system is better prepared for transplanting. Rapidly-growing trees, al¬ 
though giving shade soonest, are mostly short lived and become soonest un¬ 
sightly. 
2. Size. — Although as a rule small plants have a better promise of success, 
other considerations recommend the choice of larger sizes for roadside and 
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