(2) Place the topsoil on one side of the hole; on the other the poorer subsoil.  If the topsoil is very poor, get some good, rich, black soil.

(3) Place good soil in the bottom of the hole.

(4) Put the tree on this layer, spreading the roots out carefully.

(5) Shovel rich soil over the roots.  See that it goes in between the roots.  Don’t be afraid to use your fingers for this work.

(6) The poorer soil goes in on top.

(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.

The children wished later that they had used something else for a screen.  The poplar trees grew fast but of course did not fill out as evergreens and shrubs do.  So, after all, the hedge of shrubs would have acted as a better screen.  Had they chosen evergreens these would have made a better wind-break in the winter season for the exposure was north, cold, and windy.  Such work, though, is worth while, because we learn so many better ways of doing things.

The flower garden was almost entirely the girls’ work.  In the first place the school had no money.  Seeds do cost something.  But the amount of seed which can be purchased for one dollar is amazing.  Peter’s grandfather, hearing of the school’s needs, gave a dollar.  This was money enough to buy seeds of ageratum, zinnia, dwarf nasturtium, California poppy and verbena besides some others.  Most schools have interested friends.