Ornamental Trees, Flowering Shrubs, Etc. 
* *. Joints on transplanting: ♦ *. 
THE SOIL 
Hie soil intended for a lawn should be plowed the previous season, and before planting should be 
stirred as deeply as possible, having given it a good coat of well-decayed manure or well-pulverized compost. 
Should the soil be retentive of moisture, underdraining must be attended to, as it is impossible to grow 
trees with stagnant water about the roots. 
PLANTING 
Downing very justly said: "Many persons plant a tree as they would a post," and one-half of the failures 
are in consequence of negligence in this respect. The holes should be dug broader than the roots extend, but 
not much deeper. 
With an attendant to hold the tree, begin filling in the best and finest pulverized soil around the roots, 
taking care that every rootlet be placed in its proper position, and in contact with the soil; by all means guard 
against the roots being matted together. When the hole is partly filled, a bucket of water may be poured in 
to settle the soil and till the interstices among the fibers. The hole may now be filled and trodden (irmly; 
indeed, this firming process is of the greatest importance. Never plant a tree deeper than it stood in the 
nursery, excepting dwarf pear trees; the junction of the graft and root must, in them, be directly under the 
grou nd. 
We have seen a very beneficial effect produced on newly-planted trees, particularly during a drought, by 
dipping the roots before planting in a thin puddle of mud; this, adhering to the small fibers, tends to keep 
them moist for a long time. 
After planting, the soil around the tree should be mulched with manure, or coarse litter of any kind, to 
prevent the action of the frost during the winter, and the soil from becoming dry during the summer. 
Also, be careful to stake the tree firmly, protecting the bark by a piece of matting, in case strings are used 
in tying. 
PRUNING 
We have frequently advised purchasers how to prune their trees before planting, but the great majority 
appear to think it spoils the looks of the tree, and, consequently, they are never able to form a finely shaped 
top. 
Before the trees are planted, cut all bruised and broken roots off carefully and smoothly, and trim from 
the branches at least three-fourths of the previous year's growth. The lower branches should be left somewhat 
longer than those above, and in all cases cut just beyond a bud. Should the tree incline to spread, cut to an 
inside bud; but if, on the contrary, it is an upright grower, select an outside one. We have found this to be 
of great importance. A strong, straight, leading shoot is indispensable to a handsomely-formed tree, and in 
pruning should be cut well back. 
In pruning, as the tree increases in age, a judicious thinning of the branches must be attended to, always 
remembering that none should be displaced that will in any way mar its beauty. The best season for this 
operation is in the autumn, after the fall of the leaf, or early in the spring, but never tinting freezing weather. 
Some also adhere to summer pinching. Never prune with a dull knife. 
If planted in sod, be careful to keep the ground stirred for at least 3 or 3 feet in all directions from the 
tree, and top-dress with manure or rich compost annually. 
CASUALTIES 
Roots that are frozen when exposed rarely recover; care must, therefore, invariably be taken never to 
unpack during such weather. Should trees arrive during a freezing spell, they must be placed under cover 
until after a thaw. If, from any cause, the bark appears dry, or shriveled, an excellent plan of resuscitation is 
to bury the whole tree in the ground, after giving a liberal soaking with water. 
Trees that have come to hand during the autumn, and are intended for spring planting, should be laid in 
trenches, in a slanting position, with the tops inclined toward the south, thereby preventing the otherwise 
injurious effects of the sun. A slight covering of branches or coarse litter on the tops would also be beneficial. 
