Question
MY WIFE AND I HAVE PURCHASED ABOUT A 16 FOOT AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLE AT A LOCAL TREE NURSERY TO BE PLANTED IN THE COMING WEEK. THE TREE LOOKS VERY HEALTHY BUT I NOTICED SOME SMALL WHITE MARSHMALLOW LOOKING GROWTHS ON SEVERAL OF THE UPER BRANCHES AND NOT ON THE LEAVES. THESE MAY HAVE ALSO HAD A BLACK SPOT ON THEM BUT IT WAS HARD TO SEE. THE OWNER TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE SIMALAR TO A HUMAN HAVING PIMPLES AND NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I DID NOT LIKE THAT ANSWER. DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE COTTANY MAPLE SCALE OR NOTHING TO WOORY ABOUT. WE HAVE OTHER MAPLES AND DO NOT WANT TO INFECT THEM. ..........THANKS ...........TOM.

Answer
Sounds like a scale insect I would NOT buy a tree with this on it. In fact I would not plant a tree this time of the year. The weather too hot and dry and the chance of a tree surviving is a lot lower than  if planted in the Fall or early spring. Deciduous plants should be planted in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes.

Dig the hole twice the size of the root ball and as deep and fill with good top soil or potting soil and mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk.

IF you do plant the tree now-- dig the hole 2 to 2 1/2 times the size of the rootball and fill with potting soil (the kind that has water holding capabilities would be great). Make sure the rootball is intact and not allowed to dry out during the time of removal from the pot to the ground. Mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch (pine straw is good) not piled up on the trunk. Water with 1 inch of water each time--place a pan under the trees and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. I would water every third day for the first month and then every 4th day for a month then once a week. If you get a good rain storm you can skip a watering. Do not fertilize the trees for the first year.
This should give the roots time to grow. You may have some die back of some foliage due to the stress of planting and the heat but they should be ok but I would not expect too much growth for the first year. The trees will be growing a good root system before then will show height growth. Good Luck!