466 



TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES. 



I commenced operations by placing a layer 

 of sawdust and shavings, one foot in thick- 

 ness, around the trunk of the tree, and ex- 

 tending about four feet from the centre of 

 the trunk on every side. I then covered 

 the shavings with a lot of fir boughs six 

 inches deep, and trod the whole hard. My 

 object was to retain the frost among the 

 roots for a month or more. I succeeded 

 perfectly. 



About six weeks afterwards, say 15th of 

 April, I cut a trench, two feet wide by six- 

 teen inches deep, all around the covering 

 I had previously placed, shaving off every 

 root I found square up to the frozen earth, 

 except a few very large roots, which were 

 suffered to project a few inches. These 

 roots were lashed strongly to the large 

 branches of the tree above, to help support 

 the great weight of frozen earth. The 

 limbs and trunk of the tree were protected 

 by old bagging, mats, &c. An upright, 

 dry, spruce spar was securely lashed to the 

 trunk of the tree, say fifteen feet in length, 

 with a rope at the top, to act as a lever in 

 breaking the tree clear in its bed. I had 

 previously set up a derrick, with stays and 

 blocks, wherewith to hoist the tree square 

 out of its bed. Four board battens were 

 nailed to the trunk of the tree ; and out- 

 side the battens I passed the main lashing 

 around, which was a short link chain. The 

 lower purchase block hooked in this lash- 

 ing, and the upper block hooked to the top 

 of the derrick. The fall led through a sin- 

 gle block at the foot of the derrick ; and to 

 this fall I attached two pair of oxen. When 

 all was ready, I broke the tree clear with 

 the upright lever, hoisted it, with the cattle, 

 square up three feet, run under the tree, 

 and into the hole, a stout new ox sled ; 

 then "lowered away handsomely," as sai- 

 lors say, and the job was not quite done, 

 yet very well begun. I dragged sled, tree 



and all, up a very steep, narrow passage 

 into the street, with the aid of tackle, cattle 

 and curious spectators, where it remained 

 over night. The next day I put on "four 

 yoke" of heavy cattle, hauled it three quar- 

 ters of a mile, planted it again safely, with 

 the same derrick, in the garden of Barker 

 Neal, Esq., where it now stands, secure as 

 though it had grown there. The tree and 

 earth weighed nothing less than 2| tons, 

 many "teamsters" said 3 tons. It bore a 

 few apples last year, and did'nt know it 

 had been moved till hoy time came again. 



Evergreens I have moved, on the same 

 plan, viz., by retaining the frost about their 

 roots with a covering of boughs till April, 

 when they will "come out" almost entire. 

 I moved two splendid Norway Spruces, 20 

 and 24 feet high, last spring, and planted 

 them safely on my own premises ; beside 

 a great number of firs. The success at- 

 tending this method is certain ; the expense 

 very moderate. There is no need of a 

 derrick and tackle in most cases. The tree 

 can be pulled over, and placed upon a drag 

 or sled, if not too heavy to raise again. I 

 have moved deciduous trees, such as Rock 

 Maple, Elm, &c., of very large size, in this 

 way with gratifying success. As they grow 

 without stopping, and very soon become 

 large trees, the trouble and expense is not 

 worth reckoning. I have tried all other 

 methods, but, of course, like my own the 

 best. I shall go in a few days to se- 

 ' lect evergreens to be moved in this man- 

 ner. 



The holes, dug for their reception, should 

 be large, and the subsoil loosened ; and 

 every tree should be carefully set, the roots 

 faithfully filled in with earth, and the Avhole 

 trod firmly together, and secured from blow- 

 ing over for one year at least. The afore- 

 said great apple tree required no stays. It 

 would have taken a small hurricane to have 



