ON TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES. 



299 



waste one's time, therefore, in transplanting 

 large oaks, or hickories, in this hemisphere. 



And now, having reduced our class of 

 available subjects to elms and maples, let 

 us inquire what is the best method of trans- 

 planting them. 



The first point regards the selection of 

 the trees themselves. And here Sir Henry 

 Stuart, or his book, would teach many 

 planters a piece of real tree-craft which 

 they are ignorant of; and that is, that there 

 is as much difference, in point of hardiness 

 and power of endurance, between a tree 

 taken out of the woods, where it is shel- 

 tered by other trees, and one taken from 

 the open field, where it stands alone, ex- 

 posed to the fullest influences of wind and 

 storm, light and sunshine, as there is be- 

 tween a languid drawing-room fop and a ro- 

 bust Green Mountain boy- For this good 

 and sufficient reason, always choose a tree 

 that grows alone, in an open site, and in a 

 *oil that will allow you to retain a conside- 

 rable ball of roots entire.* 



" How large an elm or maple may we 

 transplant ? " Our answer to this question 

 might be, as large as you can afford — but 

 for the great difficulty of managing a very 

 large tree when out of the ground. That 

 it may be done, is now a well established 

 fact ; and hence, the only question is as to 

 its expediency.! Trees from 20 to 30 feet 

 in height, we conceive to be, on the whole, 

 the most suitable size. 



There are two modes now in considera- 

 ble use for moving trees of this size ; the 

 first is the Stuart mode, to be performed in 



* The best subjects, when they can Ue had, (as they fre- 

 quetly inay in the neighborhood of towns,) arc trees planted 

 some ten or fifteen years before in some neighbor's grounds, 

 where they require being taken "in, (if you can persuade him 

 of it,) because originally planted too thickly. 



\ Hue of the most successful instances of this kind of trans- 

 planting, in this country, is at the. cottage residence of Thus. 

 Pkrkins, Esq., at Brookline, near Boston. An avenue of 

 considerable extent maybe seen there, composed of elms 30 

 to 40 feel high, beautifully shaped, and having the effect of full 

 grown trees. The) were removed more than a fourth of a 

 mile, from the se;it of Col. I'kkkins, with perfect success, ajid 

 tre believe by the .Smart luode. 



spring or autumn ; the second, the frozen- 

 ball mode, to be performed in winter. 



The Stuart mode is the best for trees of 

 the largest size. In this mode, the roots 

 are laid bare with the greatest care ; every 

 root, as far as possible, being preserved. 

 The wheels are then brought up to the 

 tree, the axle made fast to the body, (with 

 a stuffing between, to prevent injury to the 

 bark,) and the pole is tied securely to the 

 trunk and branches higher up. A long 

 rope, or ropes, being now fixed to the pole 

 and the branches, the pole serves as a lever, 

 and the top is thus brought down, while 

 the mass of roots is supported upon the 

 axle. After the tree is properly balanced 

 on the carriage, horses are attached, and it 

 is transported to the hole prepared for it. 



This mode is one which requires a good 

 deal of practical skill in the management 

 of roots, and in the whole art of trans- 

 planting, though great effects may be pro- 

 duced by it in the hands of skilful work- 

 men.* 



Transplanting with a frozen ball is a 

 good deal practiced in this country, and is 

 much the cheapest and most perfect mode 

 for trees of moderately large size ; that is 

 to say, trees from 20 to 30 feet high, and 

 whose trunks measure from 6 inches to a 

 foot in diameter. Trees of this proportion 

 are indeed the most suitable for the embel- 

 lishment of new places, since they unite 

 immediate beauty of effect with compara- 

 tive cheapness in removal, while it requires 

 less mechanical skill to remove them. 



The process of removing a tree with a 

 frozen ball is a simple one, especially if 

 performed in the early part of winter, while 



* We cannot but express our surprise thai some of oursx- 

 ceedingl) ingenious! and i ' ver *i ■ nkee u amsters, have neve* 

 taken up, ms a business, the art of transplanting large trees. 

 To a person compel i to the task, with his machine, his oxen 

 and Ins trained Bet of bands, an abundance of occupation 

 would be ofl dthj improvers of new places, to 



whom the co it oi a dozen ( 1ms in feet h, at a remunerating 

 price, would be a matter of trilling moment. 



