10 



ENGLISH MODE OF TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES. 



The Linnaeans deserve much credit for planting so many healthy 

 trees in the front campus of the College ; but some of them will be old 

 men before the trees have grown large enough to afford much shade. 

 Still it is well to labor for posterity, but I would respectfully suggest to 

 them the expediency of trying the method successfully adopted in Eng- 

 land of transplanting very large trees, so that in a year or two they 

 might have a full grown forest adorning that place. Let it be tried in 

 the back campus, so that if it does fail, nothing would be lost by the 

 room or by the breaking up of the ground. 



The plan is this : A large healthy tree is selected ; all the earth 

 round the roots is removed ; all the side roots are then cut and the tree 

 is bent over far enough to enable you to cut off the principal or heart 

 root. The tree is then raised to its former position, the earth is thrown 

 on it again, and it is permitted to stand until the next year or longer. 

 By that time new roots are grown, and then it is transplanted to any 

 place you desire. An English gardener once told me that this plan 

 would never succeed in this country, owing to the prevalence of north- 

 ern winds, which would shake the tree too much before it had acquired 

 firmness in its new bed, but that might be obviated by props if the tree 

 were not too large. 



At Pottsdam, in Prussia, the following mode has been employed with 

 success : A hole was dug proportionate to the size of the roots. In 

 this hole, water, mixed with earth was poured, until it became literally 

 a mud hole. The tree was placed in this hole, and about the roots it 

 was protected against the sun and heat. It was surrounded by props so 

 that the wind could not shake it injuriously. 



These experiments are worth trying, and I cannot imagine a more 

 invigorating Saturday afternoon's experiment than this. I should sup- 

 pose that this Avas about the proper time of the year also, but of that 

 Prof. J. knows more than I. Let's try it, Linnaeans ! — In the woods be- 

 hind the College just by the road are some fine vigorous trees, and I 

 know the proprietor will cheerfully give us permission to experiment 

 on a few. 



I have seen a plan to promote the growth of trees, which may not 

 be-altogether unworthy of trial. Young trees of several inches thick- 

 ness are rubbed several times in the year with an old rag. It has this 

 effect : it removes all the parasitic moss which retards the growth of the 

 tree — it sets the sap in more rapid motion, and opens the pores of the 

 tree's skin., and thus makes it more healthy, (hence white-washing trees 



