CARE OF TREES UPON ARRIVAL 
The trees should be taken out of the boxes as soon as possible upon arrival. 
The bundles should be untied and the trees “heeled in.” This is done by digging a 
shallow trench from five to six inches deep, depending upon the size of the trees, and 
placing the trees therein at an angle of about 40 degrees, leaning the tops of the 
trees towards the sun. They should be spread out rather thinly. The trees should 
then be covered over with moist earth up to within two or three inches of the top. 
It is well to heel the plants in a cool and shady spot in moist earth. It is also 
advisable to water them somewhat, but care should be taken that they are not 
watered too heavily, for if they are they may heat. In this way they will keep 
several days, but it is always best to plant the small trees as soon as possible 
after their arrival. 
TIME FOR PLANTING 
The best time for planting coniferous trees is in the spring as soon as the snow 
is gone and the frost is out of the ground, or in the fall during the latter part of 
July and in the months of August and September. Weather conditions, however, 
should have more or less bearing upon fall planting. If the season has been 
extremely dry and the ground is in a dried up condition, it is not advisable to 
plant in the fall. Fall planting is also inadvisable in wet, heavy soil where 
there is danger of heaving. 
DISTANCES USED IN FOREST PLANTING AND THE 
NUMBER OF TREES TO THE ACRE 
Coniferous trees are usually planted 4 x 4, 5 x 5, 6 x 6 ft. The number of 
plants to the acre at these distances are for 4 x 4, 2,720 trees; for 5x5, 1,740 
trees; for 6x6, 1,210 trees. It is not advisable to plant coniferous trees further 
apart than 6 x 6, or otherwise they will grow “limby” and not make good timber. 
CHRISTMAS TREE PLANTING 
For Christmas tree planting we would advise using Norway Spruce, Colorado 
Spruce, White Spruce, Balsam Fir, or Douglas Fir. 
The distance at which trees for the Christmas trade should be planted de¬ 
pends upon the size of the tree which is to be raised. Where a so called table 
tree is in demand, the planting can be made as close as 2x2 ft. (A table tree is 
used on a table and should be about 3 ft. high.) Where there is a market for 
larger trees only, the distance should be increased, depending upon the size of the 
tree best suited to the market. To raise a tree to the height of 7 to 8 ft. it should 
have a spacing of approximately 4 ft. each way. Closer spacing means forcing 
the height growth, which will make long joints and too open a tree to command 
a good price. 
Where there is a demand for both table trees and larger trees, the plantation 
can be made 2 x 2 ft. When of proper size, the plantation should be thinned by 
cutting out every tree in one direction and every other row in the other direction, 
leaving the trees standing 4 x 4 ft. to grow to larger size. 
METHODS USED IN PLANTING 
In planting small tracts two men can work to the best advantage. One man 
with a grubbing hoe makes the holes, the other man follows and plants the trees. 
The roots of the trees should be submerged in a thick puddle of mud, and the 
trees should be always carried in a pail, submerged in the mud until planted. It 
is very important that the roots of the small trees do not get dry, as they are 
certain to be killed if they do. It is always well to set the plants somewhat 
deeper than they originally stood in the nursery to allow for settling. Great care 
should be taken that the plants are set firmly in the ground. They cannot be 
planted too firmly. In planting more extensively, a gang of five men will work to 
the best advantage. Two men go ahead in a parallel line, making the holes, one 
man follows them with a pail with the trees, and he hands the small trees to the 
two men coming behind, who plant them. It is not necessary to prepare the 
ground in any way before planting. 
