WUEN AND HOW TO PLANT TREES 



ineiit. Pleasure aloiic may satiate ; but profit ami pleasure united, seldom fail in 

 producing a lasting gratification. 



"There is another incitement to planting which alone has been lield out as a suf- 

 ficient inducement. Wo are .sorry to confess however, that we know too much of 

 mankind to believe that patriotism, unaided by personal interest, will ever j)roduce 

 a supply of timber for marine or other national purposes. Far be it from us, li(»w- 

 cver fashionable it may be, to speak irreverently of patriotism — we consider it as 

 the noblest attribute of the human mind. Young men, to whom we more particu- 

 larly address ourselves, are seldom without some share of it, and we flatter ourselves 

 that this virtuous principle, assisted by the pleasure, the profit, and the popularity 

 which attends planting, will induce the young men of the present age to study and 

 practise it, not more for themselves than for future generations." 



The practical advice in the body of the book, shows very conclusively, that 

 however much we have gained in knowledge with regard to the princi- 

 ples of cultivation, our improvement in practice has been very trifling. 



The most fitting .sea.son for transplanting trees, has long been one of the " vexed 

 questions" in Horticulture. Diff'erenee of opinion with regard to successful culti- 

 vation, could, in most cases perhaps, be reconciled, were the whole facts and cir- 

 cumstances connected with them clearly produced. But these are items difficult to 

 obtain. 



The influencing agents of vegetation are subject to such a vast variety of modifi- 

 cations, which can neither be foreseen nor prevented, that no single observation, 

 however truthfully expounded, will suffice as a guide for the establishment of defi- 

 nite rules. 



Reasoning on theory alone, we arc led to the conclusion that autumn is the best 

 time to remove trees. A plant cannot be taken out of the ground without necessa- 

 rily injuring its roots more or less. In consequence thereof, of thus destroying the 

 balance that existed between the branches and roots, the latter are not able to sup- 

 port the stem, and this decrease in power will be proportionate to the extent of muti- 

 lation the roots have received. 



But there are certain seasons when the roots are less important to the life of a 

 plant. They are most essential when the tree is in full foliage and vigorous growth, 

 and their destruction at this period would speedily show diminished growth. When 

 the leaves have fallen, perspiration is less active, and the roots are not so impor- 

 tant. It is thus evident that the proper time to plant is between the fall of the 

 leaves in autumn, and the bursting of the buds into growth in spring, or, during 

 what is termed the dormant season. Now, a tree is as completely dormant immedi- 

 ately on the fall of the leaves as at any other period, unless perhaps during severe 

 frosts; the sooner therefore the roots are disturbed after this change, the longer 

 time will be given them to repair the injury, and heal over at the wounded parts 

 before the cessation of root growth. 



There is another circumstance that I have long con.sidered as influencing the 

 season of planting, viz : the relative temperature of the atmosphere and the 



Some years ago I took daily readings of two thermometers, one being buried 



