FALL PLANTING 
There has been a lot of pros and cons in recent 
years on fall planting. Some growers Swear by it and 
others will have nothing to do with it. We have done 
a lot of experimental planting in the fall and in recent 
years have done considerably more of itand this year 
we are planning to do the major portion of our lining 
out in the fall. 
We have observed a few things, and are glad to 
pass on our experience. First of all, it has been our 
observation that any of the Spruce, Pineand Fir family 
transplant very well, even as early as the later part 
of August and certainly the fore part of September. 
These varieties mature very early, and by planting 
them the later part of August or the early part of Sept- 
tember, you give them an opportunity to make consider- 
able root growth before freeze-up. Immediately fol- 
lowing planting, we give them a thorough soaking 
regardless of the weather. This gives the soilachance 
to become firmly compacted and is conducive to an 
early and prompt root growth. Then during the fall, 
if we should have dry weather, it is well to water them 
occasionally. Also, shortly after planting we some- 
times scatter oats in the block and cultivate it lightly 
to cover the oats up aS much as possible. This will 
grow and offer an excellent ground cover for the trees 
in event we have an open winter,and would prevent to 
quite an extent heaving in event there is lotof intermit-— 
tent freezing and thawing. If you don’tdo this be sure 
to mulch them with coarse straw, evergreen brush or 
marsh hay. Do not use leaves, fine straw, or any 
material that willcompact too tightly anddonot cover 
until either the ground freezes or cold weather arrives. 
On varieties such as Arbor Vitae, and Junipers, we 
would suggest that they not be planted until the later 
part of September but otherwise the procedure is the 
same for we have found that these grow a little later 
in the season than do the Spruce, Pine and Fir family. 
There is no question, but what fall planted trees 
start growing much earlier in the spring and make a 
larger growth the first year than do spring planted 
trees and we also know that over a period of years, 
one will have as good or better stands of fall planted 
stock than you will spring, because there is just as 
much danger of lossfrom ahot dry summer following 
a late spring planting than there is danger of injury 
due to an adverse winter following fall planting. 
If properly done and properly handled, we are 
very enthusiastic about fall planting. 
