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*See also Chapter III on "Pruning:" and Chapter VIII on "Winter Protection and Mulching." The proper filling of a cavity, after the wound has been scientificallydressed, will enable the cambium to begin to grow over the spaceand in time to cover it entirely with tissue that will greatly promotefuture growth of the tree as a whole while at the same time it removes adisfigurement. But before the welfare of valuable trees is entrustedto a man who professes to be able to restore them there should be validassurance of his being in every way proficient and thoroughly compe-tent. Fertilizing. Shade trees seem to be less intelligently maintainedthan shrubbery. It is a matter of common knowledge that the rootsof trees spread as far or farther than the tops, and that most of thefeeding roots are at the extremities of the large roots. Many ex-periments have proved that the effect of fertilizers is rarely felt veryfar in a lateral direction from the place where applied. Therefore,when feeding a shade tree do not bank a small pile of strawy manurearound the trunk, as this encourages mice only. Spread the mulchwell out over the whole area covered by the top of the tree, and neglect,if any, the area near the trunk. In case of shade or orchard treeswhich are not vigorous and which require feeding, recent experimentsseem to show that applications of nitrate of soda and acid phosphateare effective. Quantities up to ten pounds for each tree may be usedon old trees either spread evenly over the surface of the ground under-neath the tree or introduced beneath the sod in quantities of a handfuldeposited in the bottom of holes made by a crowbar at staggered in-tervals of eighteen inches. Bone meal is probably one of the bestfertilizers to be used in preserving the vitality of shade trees. Asuccessful method of applying bone meal is that of spreading it broad-cast over the lawn surrounding the base of the tree. This fertilizer,which is slow acting, should be applied during the winter or very earlyspring months, at the rate of at least twenty-five or fifty pounds fortrees from ten to twelve inches in diameter, and at a proportionatelyless rate for trees of smaller diameter. This fertilizer should be appliedat least once in two years. It is much better to apply a less amountand to fertilize the trees each year. |
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