(7) Tramp the soil down with your feet, making firm about the tree
trunk.

(8) If the planting comes late in the warm weather make the soil into a
soft mud with plenty of water, in this form washing it in between and
about the roots, all roots and rootlets come in direct contact with the
mud.

(9) Last of all cut the tree back, shortening the larger branches about
one-quarter their length.

After planting the boys kept the trees soaked with water, thus making it
possible for the young saplings to have plenty of water. As the spring
went on the little maple prospered but the plane-tree started to put out
a few sickly looking leaves and finally died in midsummer. Just what was
the trouble? Supposedly these two trees were planted according to the
same directions. It finally came out that the boys who planted the
plane-tree had not cut off the bruised rootlets. These rootlets being in
a bad condition rotted and affected the entire root. Another mistake was
the failure of the boys to put the good soil about the roots, and they
had made the hole a little too small for the entire root area. Well, it
simply went to show that such a piece of work must be done right and
carefully, if success is to be certain. These were the reasons why our
boys lost one of their Arbor Day trees. The Chief told the children that
it might have been done over then, but that spring was the better time,
because the transplanted tree has the good long feeding season ahead of
it, and therefore has an opportunity to get over the shock and to get
accustomed to its new surroundings before winter is on. Trees planted
in the fall should not be cut back. Leave this until the next spring.