ON TRAxVSPLANTING TREES. 19 



with the view of lessening the demand made upon the tree by 

 evaporation. The straw was found to keep damp a considerable 

 time after every rain. A ridge of soil was also placetl around 

 each tree, at the extremity of the roots, forming a sort of cup ; 

 and I have frequently seen water standing in these cups half an 

 hour after heavy rain, during the second summer after planting, 

 as by this time, from vaiious causes, the mulch had disappeared, 

 and the surface was firm, owing to the constant treading of sheep 

 wliich were allowed to fe6;d among the trees during the second 

 summer after planting, and which was no doubt favourable to them. 



No further care was bestowed or considered necessary ; and no 

 tree was ever watered except during the first three weeks after 

 transplanting, when the vi^ater-cart was used to most of the two 

 groups of hornbeam at the time they were in green leaf; and it 

 was thouglit that thereby an early root action would be induced. 



The poles were all removed early in the autumn, after transplant- 

 ing; and the straw wrapped round the stem of each tree dropped 

 ofl:' of itself, after remaining from seven to twelve months. 



It should be observed tliat in many places where the trees were 

 transplanted the soil was very thin, and the subsoil chalk, and 

 over a considerable extent it was a good deep loam. To the 

 former it was necessary to cart soil to cover the roots in trans- 

 planting. It was especially thus with Nos. 1, 23, and 24, Beech, 

 and the group of common or horse Chesnut ; and I account for 

 the apparent disparity in the growth and general state of the trees 

 accordingly as they were more or less favourably situated in this 

 respect. Their growth, on the whole, is more in favour of the 

 first year after planting ; but many favourable circumstances must 

 be considered at the same time : for instance, every tree had a good 

 hole made for it, either of the natural soil or by carting, so as to 

 improTe it ; in either condition a large quantity of soil was moved, 

 and the roots had the advantage of this, more in the first than in 

 subsequent years. No. 5 Elm was a remarkable instance of this ; 

 for its roots had extended beyond where the soil was originally 

 moved. The growing season also of the three years is worthy of 

 remark. The first summer after transplanting may be considered 

 wet. From the beginning of April to the end of September, 

 1848 (which may be deemed the most growing months), I find 

 the quantity of rain was 15'44 inches; and during the same period 

 in 1 849, 12*93 inches ; and the same period during the present year 

 10*35 inches. It may also be worthy of mention, that the trees, as 

 a whole, have retained their leaves three weeks longer the present 

 year than the previous one ; and notwithstanding the wet season 

 of 1848, the transplanted trees retained their leaves a fortuiglit 

 later in 1849 than in the year before that. There is a marked 

 improvement in the appearance of some of the trees since they 

 were transplanted, especiallv in the elms. Several, when removed. 



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