CHAPTER XIII. 
CARING FOR SHADE TREES 
HE tree planter’s responsibility continues from the 
1 time of planting until the tree dies. The young tree 
must be cared for and protected with willing hand and 
guided to full development. The neglected tree has little 
chance. The one way in which planting may be made 
successful is by meeting the tree’s needs as they arise or 
anticipating them. No other method can be depended upon 
to produce satisfactory results. 
Some of the fundamental requirements of successful 
shade tree growth are moisture, nourishment, cultivation 
and protection. These involve the tree’s very existence. 
It is a waste of time and money to undertake planting 
without a determination to give close attention to these 
essentials. 
Watering begins at the time of planting. After this 
first supply of moisture is given, the young tree should be 
watered with unfailing regularity in dry climates and 
occasionally in humid climates, if drouth occurs soon 
after planting. This is especially important during the 
first season’s growth, when the tree is adjusting itself 
to its new environment and is fighting to gain permanent 
foothold in its strange surroundings. Water not only 
supplies moisture, but also conveys into the tree, through 
root absorption, the mineral elements and plant food 
necessary to growth. In watering, it must be borne in 
mind that the roots of a tree are more extensive, and 
deeper in the ground, than those of other plants. For 
this reason, more water is required to reach the entire 
root system. The quantity of water needed varies with 
