Ig ON TKANSPLANTING TREES. 



peditiously, and to be capable of even effecting more than was 

 anticipated ; and hence it was tested to a greater extent than was 

 previously intended, until one disadvantage discovered itself; but 

 this was easily obviated. 



In using the machine for trees with very large balls, I found, 

 in some instances, that the weight could not be got sufficiently 

 to the pole-end of the truck, so as to be balanced by two or three 

 men ; I therefore had a moveable false bottom made, resembling 

 a second top to the truck. Three iron rods, three-fourths of an 

 inch in diameter, were fixed lengthwise on the under side of this 

 moveable bottom, and upon the original truck were fixed three 

 grooved or pulley wheels to each rod, corresponding in size, and 

 acting as a sort of railway, so that the original bottom made a plat- 

 form for the new top, whicii could be let up or down at pleasure. 

 Between the two there was a cavity of an inch, and in order to 

 attain the desired object, two common strong screws, such as are 

 used in various mechanical operations, each two feet long, and, 

 including the thread of the screw (which thread is of tlie square 

 projecting form, and each thread one-fourth of an inch apart), 

 two inches in diameter, were fixed at the pole-end of the truck. 

 In using these screws, we will suppose the tapered end of the 

 truck to be placed to the tree, as before, but by winding down 

 the false bottom it projects nearly two fieet more, and thus it is 

 pushed as far under the ball as possible ; then by screwing this 

 false bottom up, and at the same time tightening tiie chain, we 

 get tlie ball of earth two feet nearer tiie pole-end of the truck, 

 so that two or three men can balance the tree, which previously 

 could not have been done by several more, to say nothing of the 

 strain upon the machine. By this means very large balls of earth 

 were removed with trees, tiie machinery for which appeared in- 

 adequate. No. 31 Beech was the largest tree removed by this 

 mode : but this machine, excellent as it was for trees up to a 

 certain weight, was found incapable of removing the largest ; 

 for as the autumn advanced, successive rains rendered that part 

 of the park recently laid down in grass unfit for a roller so small 

 in diameter, and with several tons in weight upon it, although 

 upon old turf it answered well, and left no mark ; and also tall 

 heavy-headed trees and windy weatiier rendered more force 

 necessary at the guy ropes — a force, by the way, not always to be 

 depended on, and not well placed, as it will be seen that the guy 

 ropes were the only means of keeping the tree upright ; and in 

 the case of a very tall heavy-headed tree, though it rested firm 

 and secure at the bottom, with nothing more than a chain to brace 

 it firmly to the top of the truck, the wind was apt to displace it, 

 if the force at the guy ropes was inadequate. 



It was in consequence of the state of things above referred to 

 that I adopted the following mode for removing the largest trees. 



