iSyi.] TRANSPLANTING OLD FRUIT-TREES. 549 



plicable in some circumstances, and may possibly help to dispel the doubts of 

 some one who contemplates similar operations. 



In 1867 we wished to move between forty and fifty Apple and Pear trees from 

 different parts of the garden, in order to arrange them in a more systematic way, 

 and also to induce fruitfulness. As far as we could ascertain, one lot of the trees 

 must have been planted about twenty years ; the others perhaps about thirty or 

 thirty-five years, judging from the thickness of the stems and branches. la 

 November we had the borders where they were to be planted thoroughly 

 trenched, and in December we commenced lifting. The appearance of the 

 roots of the first tree, when taken up, was of a kind to raise doubts of ulti- 

 mate success, as, owing apparently to the trees never having been root-pruned 

 since they were first planted, no such thing as fibrous roots were to be found 

 within a radius of 5 feet from the stem, — nothing, indeed, but long bare sticks, 

 that penetrated far into the stiff loam. It was necessary, however, to go through 

 with the job at all hazards, so the roots were chopped oS" about 4 feet from the 

 stem, and lipped about every 9 inches with a knife, to induce the making of root- 

 lets in greater quantity. January saw them all transferred to their new quarters, 

 and mulched thickly as a protection against frost in winter and drought in sum- 

 mer ; and but for this precaution, I do believe not one of the trees would have 

 been alive at the present time. 1868, as every one will remember, was from April 

 excessively hot and dry : it was especially so in this district, and aggravated in our 

 own case in consequence of alterations going on in our water supply necessitat- 

 ing an almost empty reservoir, so that the transplanted trees were almost de- 

 pendent on the mulching alone, which just enabled them to retain their vitality 

 throughout the summer, and nothing more. Towards the end of May, four or 

 five trees out of the lot put feebly forth a few leaves at the points of the shoots, 

 which in a few weeks shrivelled up ; and these few trees died, or were, at least, 

 so far gone at the end of the season as to be worthless, and were taken up and 

 replaced. "With the exception of these, none of the other trees put forth a leaf 

 during the whole summer ; nor could I say that even the buds moved percep- 

 tibly, but remained perfectly dormant, and the trees naked and leafless from 

 November 1867 till the spring of 1869, thereby actually losing a year of their 

 existence. Their forlorn appearance attracted more attention than was altogether 

 agreeable. Professionals wagged their heads over them in a discouraging man- 

 ner ; but still, though the bark on the branches shrunk visibly, sections of the 

 buds showed that vitality was still there, so we did not despair ; and we felt more 

 comfortable when the fall of the leaves in autumn made the trees in question 

 less conspicuous. 



In winter we examined the roots, and found that they bad made a considerable 

 quantity of fibres, though the branches had made no leaves. By June following 

 all the trees were clothed pretty luxuriantly with foliage ; and though they made 

 no shoots, they made a perfect spray of fruit-buds all over, which resulted in a 

 good crop of Apples last year. Some of them have borne famously this season 

 again, and all the trees are now in vigorous health and good bearing condition. 

 So far as my experiences goes, I believe it is not frequent that deciduous trees 

 remain dormant a whole season after transplanting and live. In the above 

 instance I imagine the excessively dry summer to have been the chief cause — 

 assisted, no doubt, by the crippled condition of the roots, unavoidably caused in 

 lifting them. J. S. 



"WORTLET. 



[We once transplanted some large scarlet Thorns which remained dormant a 

 season, exactly as Mr S. describes in the case of the Apple and Pear trees.— Ed.] 



