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Show GA- D2- 231 A border planting of trees, shrubs, and legumes protects the edge of the field against erosion and makes good wildlife food and cover. This activity is best suited to springtime in the North and to fall in the South, It may be made a part of an Arbor Day observance. Plan in advance the kind of trees you are going to plant and where they will be planted. Soil and moisture conditions will determine to a great extent the kind of trees to plant. How the trees will be used will also have a bearing on the kind of trees selected. Check with local specialists about the best time to plant and the kinds of trees best suited to the soil and location. In addition to the seedlings or transplants, you will need buckets for carrying the seedlings, water, grub hoes or mattocks, spades, and shovels or specially constructed dibbles or planting bars. The size of planting stock will help determine planting method and tools needed. If the area is covered with grass sod, use the grub hoe to strip the sod away from a spot 12 to 18 inches square. If the ground is hard, dig it up and crumble the clods. Carry the seedling trees in a 12- to 14- quart pail half filled with water, or in boxes containing wet moss or burlap. 1. Take only one tree at a time from the container and leave the roots exposed no longer than necessary. They usually consume as much or more than their own weight in soft- bodied insects every day. Young robins have been observed to gain 8 times their original weight the first 8 days of their life. Insect- eating birds must fill their stomachs 5 to 6 times daily because they digest their food so fast and because of the large amount of indigestible material in insects. One young robin, weighing 3 ounces, consumed 165 cutworms weighing 5y2 ounces in 1 day. If a 10- pound baby ate at the same rate he would eat 18% pounds of food in a day. Of course, birds cannot control insects completely, but they are of great value. By using soil- and water- conserving practices farmers and ranchers could probably double the population of helpful birds. Field and farmstead windbreaks, living fences, shrub buffers, grass waterways, and farm ponds are only a few of the many land use practices useful in attracting and increasing beneficial forms of wildlife. Some birds are also valuable as enemies of mice, rats, gophers, and other destructive small animals. Other animals that help keep a balanced living community on the farm are rabbits, squirrels, deer, muskrats, woodchucks, opossums, and raccoons. These animals are valuable for their meat or fur, too. 2. Set the tree in the hole no deeper than it grew in the nursery. 3. Do not put pieces of sod or undecomposed trash in the hole where it will be in contact with the roots. 4. Tamp the soil thoroughly around the roots; do not leave any air pockets. 5. Water thoroughly. You will need to water the tree frequently if the ground is dry. Also, the young trees will need cultivation 1 or more years in many sections of the country to eliminate grass and weed competition for moisture. A straw or grass mulch spread 1 to 2 feet around the tree will, in areas of high rainfall, eliminate or reduce the need for cultivation. For information on the best way to plant and care for trees in your area, see your county agent, extension forester, or soil conservation technician. INTERPRETATION Forests have played a big part in building and maintaining our cities, States, and Nation. As our young Nation grew, timber was needed in greater and greater quantities until much of the original woodlands were harvested. XVIII. Plant a Tree 23 |