Oklahoma Arbor and Bird Day, Friday, March Twelfth, 1909/Part One: Arbor Day/Tree Planting: The Choice of Trees

TREE PLANTING.

The Choice of Trees.

1. General Considerations—Trees for school grounds and yards, along roadsides and streets, must be such as are least liable to suffer from injuries; they should be compact and symmetrical in shape, free from objectionable habits, such as bad odors, roof sprouting, frequent dropping of parts, etc., and from insect pests, and, if planted for shade, should have a broad crown and a dense foliage budding early in the spring and retaining leaves long into the fall.

Trees native to the region in which the planting is done usually have more promise of success and are generally less costly than exotics. Trees from well managed nurseries are preferable to those grown in the forest, because their root system is better prepared for transplanting. Rapidly growing trees, although giving shade soonest, are mostly short-lived and become the soonest unsightly.

2. Size—Although as a rule small plants have a better promise of success, other considerations recommend the choice of larger sizes for roadside and ornamental planting. Trees of any size can be successfully transplanted, but in proportion to the size grows the difficulty, the amount of work and the care necessary. As a rule the largest size should not exceed two to three inches in diameter at the base and 10 to 15 feet in height. Those one-half that size will probably make better growth, because less of their root-system will be curtailed in taking them up for transplanting.

3. Diagnosis of a Tree Suitable for Transplanting: (a) An abundance of fibrous roots.

(b) A normal form and well proportioned development of shaft and crown.

(c) The position from which the tree came has some influence on its further development. Trees from the forest have generally a wide spreading root-system, which is difficult to take up and transplant. Those which have grown in the shade of the forest as a rule do not start easily in the open sunlight; those from cool north sides are apt to sicken when placed on hot exposures, and vice versa. A healthy tree from poor soil transferred into better conditions will show itself grateful by vigorous development.—Circular No. 5, Forestry Division, U. S. Department Agriculture.