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Show FARM FOREST TREES NEED IRRIGATION SAYS FORESTER In sections of the state where the regular fall rains have been lacking, it will be necessary to irrigate ir-rigate tree plantings again in order or-der that they will go into the winter with sufficient moisture, according to Paul M. Dunn, extension ex-tension forester for the Utah State Agricultural college at Logan. Lo-gan. To prevent winter injury the soil about the tree roots must not be too dry as the heavy frosts set in. Examinations of several plantings plant-ings throughout the state indicate that better results are obtained in connection with winter survival where the small trees have been hardened up in the late summer. This is done by subjecting them to a dry period in late August and September. But if this per iod extends up until heavy snow, there will probably be several fa-talities. fa-talities. The regular fall rains provide the moisture to send the young trees into the winter with the surrounding soil moist. This year over most of the state, the moisture mois-ture must be provided by late watering, advises Mr. Dunn. Other factors that will tend to give protection to the small trees are cultivation and mulching. The late cultivation will tend to brean up the soil surface and turn under the weeds and grass; which will provide better aeration and more organic matter within the soil. Mulching with straw oi other material whenever possible will provide a blanket which will check frost injury, winter heaving, heav-ing, and drying out of the root. As the trees become larger, and the roots grow deeper, cultivation is the important factor. Nearly 100,000 small forest trees have been planted in the state during the past four years, and the loss from winter killing has been extremely low, Mr. Dunn reports. The more evident, injury is "freezing back," in which the tips of the branche-. or the tops are killed. But the trees are not dead and will 6tart growing the next spring from places below the injury. These injuries are the direct result o! either not being hardened up before be-fore winter, or being too dry, oi both. Particular information relative re-lative to forestry problems may be obtained from the local sounty agricultural agent or by writing to the extension service at Logan. |