The Shade Trees oe Denver. 
5 
The best time for planting trees in Colorado is in the spring 
of the year. This is true for the reason that the winds of winter 
are apt to dry out the trees as well as the soil. The root system 
not being established, cannot supply the moisture lost by evapo¬ 
ration , therefore the plants die. 
Shade trees respond to cultivation and care as well as do other 
plants. While many trees will make a fair growth in poor soil, 
yet the best soil will be found none too good. The hole in which 
the tree is to be planted should be large enough to allow all the 
roots being spread out naturally, and of sufficient depth to admit 
of the tree’s being set one or two inches deeper than it stood in the 
nursery. If the soil at the bottom of the hole is hard and uncon¬ 
genial some of it should be removed and be replaced whh a generous 
layer of loose top soil. After the tree has been placed in the hole 
and its roots properly spread out, the soil should be filled in a little 
at a time and firmly tamped around the roots so that no cavities 
can be formed. 
As soon as the tree is planted water should be turned on until 
the ground is thoroughly moist. Especial pains should be taken 
during the first summer to see that the ground around the tree does 
not become dry; neither should it be kept too wet. Later in the 
season less water should be given so that the trees may ripen their 
growth for winter, as it too often happens that the foliage is frozen 
from the trees instead of ripening naturally as is indicated by 
autumn tints. The injudicious use of water late in the season is un¬ 
doubtedly the direct cause of much of the winter killing of trees. 
On the other hand, care should be taken that the ground does 
not become dry during the winter. If sufficient moisture is not pres¬ 
ent in the soil to replace that which is lost by transpiration from 
the branches the tops “freeze dry.” In most soils trees will be 
benefited by a watering in the latter part of November or the early 
part of December. The necessity of subsequent irrigations will 
depend upon the weather conditions, but close watch should be 
kept through the winter to see that the ground does not become 
too dry. 
The amount of damage that is done to shade trees by careless 
and aimless pruning is difficult to estimate, but the results are to 
be seen on every hand. With the advent of spring the mania for 
“cleaning up” comes on and the trees are often the first objects to 
be attacked. One reason for this no doubt is that a large showing 
for one’s labor can be made in a short time. 
People who attempt to prune trees ordinarily have one of two 
ideas in mind. The more common idea, perhaps, is that the 
branches of all trees should be removed from the lower two thirds 
of the trunk. The result is a stiff, bare trunk with a few branches 
at the top—the ungainly remains of what might otherwise have 
been a beautiful tree. 
