Identifier: gardenersassista04thom (find matches)
Title: The gardener's assistant; a practical and scientific exposition of the art of gardening in all its branches
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Thompson, Robert, 1798-1869 Watson, William, 1858-1925
Subjects: Gardening Horticulture
Publisher: London : The Gresham Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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be simpli-fied as much as possible if the object is only toprotect the trees from damage by wind untilthey are well rooted. Where trees are plantedin grass-land used for grazing, more elaborateprecautions will be required. These are re-ferred to under the head of protection. Inlight, loose soils staking is particularly im-portant, and it is necessary to have the stakesof sufficient length to allow them to be drivendeeper into the soil than in heavier land. Forstandard Apples they should be from 5 to 7feet long, proportionate to the length of thestems, allowing from 1J to 2 feet of the stake 58 THE GARDENERS ASSISTANT. in the soil; for dwarf trees a length of 2\ to 3feet is usually sufficient, and a foot length inthe ground is generally enough to keep thetrees steady. Stakes with rough surfaces or edges areobjectionable, as there is more danger of stemabrasion, and those with the bark attached,especially if somewhat loose, provide retreatsfor insect pests. The stakes should preferably
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Fig. 852.—Method of Planting and Staking. be round, as the edges of square ones are some-times a source of trouble; and they must be ofsufficient diameter to give the requisite rigidity,not less than 2 J inches. The base should beevenly pointed, as they can then be driven intothe ground with more regularity; if cut wedge-shaped they are easily thrown out of theirplaces by stones or hard clogs of earth when beingforced into the soil. When sufficient time canbe allowed for the stakes to dry before they arewanted for use, they should be well tarred; andsound stakes so prepared will last for years,probably, indeed, until the trees are independentof their aid. The preceding remarks refer to cases wherea single stake is employed for each tree, which is planted up to the support, and therefore isexposed to some risk of bark injury unless dueprecautions are adopted to avoid this by suit-able tying, or by pads between the tree andthe stake. It is sometimes found more advan-tageous to have tw

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