THE DICTIONARY 
OF GARDENING, 
Transplanting —continued. 
to render the whole firm. All trees that are of sufficient 
height to be blown about and injured by rough winds, 
should be securely staked so soon as transplanted, or sup- 
- ported in some way, for preventing injury to the roots 
which would be caused were the trees allowed to sway 
about. In the case of standard or tall trees, transplanted 
for immediate effect, or for fruit-bearing, two or three guy 
ropes prevent this most effectually, and they may fre- 
quently be dispensed with so soon as the roots re-establish 
themselves. When lifting a tree for Transplanting, it 
is best to tie up with some soft cord any branches that 
may be near the base, and to commence digging out a 
spit of soil outside the line to which it is calculated the 
roots will reach. Then use a fork from the base of the 
tree outwards to separate the roots, but preserve as large 
a ball of earth as may be convenient to move, unless 
the tree is of a sort which transplants readily with 
bare roots. All roots which become mutilated had 
better be cut clean off before replanting; also any small 
ones, which sometimes die back—as, for instance, when 
trees have to be sent on a long journey. The necessity 
for watering depends very much on the season and 
the nature of the soil; if the subsoil is gravelly, a 
heavy watering would seldom do any harm, and water 
is the best of all substances for consolidating the top 
. soil and roots, Watering is not so requisite in autumn 
as in spring Transplanting; but attention must be 
given to the subject throughout the summer immediately 
following. A mulching of loose litter or light manure, 
placed above the roots for a season, tends greatly to 
prevent evaporation, and to keep them moist even in dry 
weather. 
The foregoing remarks are generally applicable to 
the Transplanting of any fruit and forest-trees, also all 
shrubs of moderate size that are amenable to the 
operation. The best seasons for performing the work, 
like other details, vary with individual subjects; some 
will transplant successfully at almost any season when 
earefully managed, while others are best moved at one 
particular period of the year. As a rule, all deciduous 
trees and shrubs transplant best in the autumn as soon 
as most of their leaves have fallen. These, and also 
Conifers and shrubs of all kinds, may generally be moved 
with safety any time during October, and up till the 
middle of November. There is then sufficient warmth in 
the soil to encourage the production of new roots before 
winter, and this is of great advantage. Transplanting 
may be proceeded with all through the winter whenever 
the weather is favourable ; but the seasons when there is 
a certain amount of activity—as October and the early 
part of November, already mentioned—and a period im- 
mediately preceding the resumption of active growth in 
spring (February and March), are preferable. From the 
middle of November till the middle of January is the 
worst period for Transplanting, as vegetation is then so 
inactive, and the temperature of the ground very low. 
This period should not, therefore, be chosen by anyone 
who has but a moderate amount of the work to perform in 
any one season. Evergreen plants may be successfully 
moved later in the spring than deciduous ones, and 
Hollies transplant better in May, just as new growth 
ins, than at any other season. Rhododendrons may 
best be moved in March, or early in April. Such plants as 
half-hardy annuals, raised under glass for flowering in 
the open borders, are best transplanted into permanent 
positions before their flower-stems show; and hardy 
perennials which require division should be. attended to in 
. spring, before the annual growth is begun. Naturally, 
anything which is growing in a pot may be planted out 
in the open at periods when it would often be hazardous 
_ to attempt lifting the same individual from the ground. 
‘ransplanting in its entirety is therefore a subject. the 
details of which have an extremely wide application; 
Transplanting—continued. 
the after-success will generally well repay for close 
attention to detail when performing the work. Briefly, 
the principal points are these: Lift the roots with the 
least possible injury, make the new holes sufficiently 
wide that all may be spread at full length; and, after 
regulating them with the hand, cover with soil that is 
in a good, workable condition. Avoid having any roots 
doubled underneath—when the tree is placed into its 
new position this must be guarded against—and secure 
the stem from rocking about with the wind afterwards. 
Give a copious watering soon after planting, or at a future 
period, according to the season and state of the soil, 
to consolidate all the earth which has been moved, and 
to supply moisture, of which the roots will be in special 
need, to enable them to re-establish themselves. 
Transplanting of trees and shrubs of an unusual size 
is practicable by the use of mechanical means and plenty 
of strength. For filling up a blank in any important 
place, such as an avenue, or for planting with a view 
to producing an immediate effect, the work is sometimes 
undertaken, though, of course, under more or less ex- 
ceptional circumstances. The trees must first be at 
hand, or be procurable within reasonable distance for 
_ removing, and they must be of a nature likely to trans- 
plant successfully with due care and previous preparation 
if necessary; they must also be situated where removal 
is practicable. With a view to safely Transplanting trees 
of a larger size than usual, a system of preparation one 
year in advance is advisable, particularly if the specimens 
are valuable. This consists in cutting a trench round 
the stem, at a distance which depends on the size of 
the ball which it is intended to move, and severing 
_ with a knife the large roots that reach thus far, making 
a clean cut. Previous to digging the trench, some new 
soil, of a light rather than heavy nature, should be 
prepared and brought alongside ready for use. Without 
allowing the roots to be long exposed, the trench should 
be filled up again with the fresh compost. In this, new 
feeders will usually push, during the following season, from 
the points which have been mutilated ; and when the time 
for removing the tree arrives, the next trench requisite 
should be cut outside the one already referred to, and 
_the young roots carefully preserved. Of course, cutting 
off the roots will effect a check on the vegetation and 
_ growth above ground. When there is a danger of the 
check being too great, the preparation is sometimes 
extended over two years, and only a half cut at one 
time. When this is practised, the circumference of 
the intended circular trench should be divided into 
about four equal parts, and two of these, opposite each 
other, dug out; the other two, which will also be opposite, 
may be left for treating similarly the next season. The 
principles which have been detailed in treating of the 
Transplanting of trees and plants of moderate size are 
similarly applicable, but on a larger scale, to those of 
unusual dimensions. If a ball of earth to be removed 
measures 2ft., 4ft., or 6ft. through, then the hole must 
be prepared so as to allow plenty of additional space for 
the roots to be spread out their full length. In starting 
to lift, it is best to begin wide, and allow sufficient room 
to work : the roots may be all the more readily separated 
from the soil and preserved from mutilation. 
For Transplanting trees with a great weight of soil 
attached to their roots, different machines or tree-lifters. 
are in use; the management of these invariably requires 
the closest attention on the part of every workman who 
assists, as well as the person in charge. Hence, this work, 
when mechanical power is necessary, should be executed 
only by those who understand the business from practical 
experience. Two of the best tree-lifting or Transplanting 
machines are those known respectively as Mr. McNab’s ~ 
and Mr. Barron’s. The diameter of the ball is limited with 
Mr. McNab’s to that of the inner part of the machine, 
