PLANTING GUIDE (Cont) 
NORWAY SPRUCE 
Norway Spruce is perhaps the most popular 
of the spruce family for the Christmas tree 
grower. It’s much more rapid growth than 
other spruces and beautiful color places it 
among the leaders in popular demand. A de- 
sire for rich moist soil and little need of shear- 
ing are its chief characteristics. 
COLORADO BLUE or WHITE SPRUCE 
The leading ornamental trees of the spruces, 
excellent Christmas tree but very slow grower. 
Likes deep moist soil with little shearing 
needed. 
HOW TO PLANT 
Experience has taught us that it is not neces- 
sary to prepare the soil in any way before 
planting, as the additional expense is not just- 
ified and we find that the grass and weeds 
prove a benefit in conserving the moisture and 
a shade during the first few years after plant- 
ing. Do not use any kind of fertilizer on the 
soil. 
In planting trees three men work well to- 
gether—one man digs the holes with a mattock, 
the other two follow with buckets of trees im- 
merged in soupy mud until planted. After dig- 
ging a hole deep enough to accommodate the 
roots, be careful and spread the roots out, then 
pack good fine soil around them which will 
insure success. 
When trees are planted too close together, 
they crowd and the resulting competition 
speeds the height growth and tends to make 
a poor Christmas tree. Many different opinions 
are offered on tree spacing. Four feet by four 
feet spacing requires 2720 trees to the acre and 
may be used where thinning is contemplated at 
a comparatively young age. Five feet by five 
feet spacing requires 1740 trees to the acre and 
is most generally used as it allows for the 
Christmas tree thinning and will still leave a 
good stand of timber. Six feet by six feet spac- 
ing requires 1210 trees per acre and is recom- 
mended where trees are planted for forestry 
products and no thinning is intended for twenty 
to twenty-five years. 
TIME TO PLANT 
Experience has taught us that best results 
are usually obtained from Spring planting. 
