232 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



t llaich 23, 1875. 



the roots, and tied with any handy material. We use the 

 leaves of the New Zealand Flax, the fibre of which is very 

 strong, a leaf being sufficient to tie three or four dozen plants. 

 Since the Russian mats have become so expensive we have 

 turned the leaves of this highly-ornamental plant to many 

 useful purposes. I fancy I hear many of your readers say. 

 What a pity to destroy this plant for tying Geraniums ; but we 

 have it growing here by thousands in the wildest profusion, 

 and consequently have plenty to use. 



I fear I am digressing. I will now return to the sodding, as 

 we term it. This is capital employment for the outside men 

 in inclement weather (I am no advocate for keeping men out 

 when it is wet). When we have not had turf at command we use 

 moss, with a handful of fresh soil around the roots. They are 

 then planted out on a slight hotbed of leaves in pits or frames. 

 When removed to their summer quarters the balls are a mass 

 of roots, and can be planted with the greatest safety. 



By adopting the above plan much time is saved in watering, 

 and they start into growth and cover the beds sooner than 

 when turned out of small pots.— W. Oseokxe, Fota, Cork. 



EEMOVING LARGE TREES. 

 As inquiries are occasionally made on this subject, my ex- 

 perience may, perhaps, be useful. I have removed trees of froija 

 4 to C tons weight which have re-established themselves quickly 

 and given the utmost satisfaction. I am not sure that I can 

 make my mode clear, simple as it is, as I am more at home 

 with the actual work than in describing the plan for others. I 

 am, however, willing to make the attempt, and perhaps those 

 who may be particularly interested will by a little study be- 

 come conversant with what I endeavour to explain. 



We will take the case of a Wellingtonia 15 to 18 feet high. 

 The first thing is to tie all the lower branches carefully up- 

 wards to the trunk, so as to clear the base and afford clear 

 room to work. When this is done decide which way the tree 

 is to be drawn, and that side we will call the front. Now at 

 i feet from the stem mark-out a trench at the least 5 feet 

 wide or long, and dig-out the soil to the depth of 5 feet. This 

 trench next the tree must be cut straight and square down, 

 the opposite side of course being sloped to facilitate the draw- 

 ing of the tree from the hole to the level ground. When this 

 is done dig-out a similar trench on the opposite or back side 

 of the tree. New, suppose these two trenches are cut and we 

 commence to undermine. But first have six or eight sound 

 and strong 9-inch deal planks ready, and aa many blocks as 

 there are ends of planks. Commence to make a hole through 

 the lump of earth at S feet from the surface. The top of this 

 hole, which will be the bottom of the ball, must be perfectly 

 level. The hole may be 2 feet wide or more as is convenient, 

 but the nature of the soil must be the guide. When ready 

 put through one of the planks and tighten it up with a bottle- 

 jack in order to put a block under— that is, one under each 

 end of the plank, having the front block somewhat the longest. 

 Proceed the same with the other planks, blocking each securely 

 as it is put in. When all are screwed-up level, and safely 

 blocked, see to the rollers. 



There must be three of these of at the least 6 inches in 

 diameter, and 2 feet longer than the platform on which the 

 tree rests is wide. These rollers must have two holes near 

 each end in which to put crowbars as levers to move them by. 

 Lay two planks under the platform for the rollers to work on. 

 Now take four other strong planks, placing two under the ball 

 of earth and two on the top exactly over them, and bolt these 

 together by iron rods with screw and nut at the end of each. 

 Four of these are required, one at each corner, which will 

 grasp the ball from above and below, and keep all firm and 

 tight. Care must be taken that the tree is in the centre of the 

 platform. Now place the rollers under the platform, one as 

 near to the front as possible, and the other two-thirds under. 

 After making certain that the platform is level and secure, 

 proceed to cut the sides, and the whole weight is on the rollers. 

 The mass must now be drawn from its place. 



This can be done by men and ropes. I use stout waggon 

 ropes. Fasten these round the ball, then try the length of 

 the ropes, and at or near their extremity drive into the ground 

 two stout stakes. These must be square with the frame of 

 the tree and must be put in with a sharp slant from it. These 

 stakes must be very firm (as everything depends on them), so 

 that they are not drawn back and upright by the weight of 

 the tree. To secure this strength other stakes are sometimes 

 necessary with a coupling chain, which an intelligent labourer 



wiU know how to fix. Now have another roller quite 4 feet 

 long and 8 inches in diameter with a hole through each end. 

 Place this roller on boards behind the slanted stakes and 

 fasten the ropes to it. The tree is now ready to be moved. 

 Two men must be at the stake rollers, and a sufficient number 

 at the tree. As soon as the word of command is given the 

 crowbars are put to work both at the tree and stake rollers, 

 when the bulk moves and the ropes wind round the roller at 

 the stakes. It is now a question of moving and blocking the 

 rollers and steadying the tree, and with plenty of strength 

 (men should never be limited at this work), the tree will soon 

 be on the level ground. The stake roller and long ropes are 

 now done with, and the tree is moved by the platform-rollers 

 to its new site if that is near. If, however, it must be taken 

 some distance, horse labour and wheels are requisite. 



In this case my plan is as follows ; but to simplify the 

 matter I assume that most people who are at all acquainted 

 with trees have seen a felled tree removed from the wood to 

 the carpenter's yard by a " pair of wheels," as they are called 

 in some counties, or the " wood gin " in others. The wheels 

 are simply run astride of the tree which is fastened to the 

 axle by a chain underneath. The shafts during the operation 

 of fixing are elevated, which lowers the axle. The shafts are 

 now used as a lever, and by drawing them down the tree is 

 raised from the ground and is drawn easily away. That being 

 understood I lay two trees side by side, yet not quite closely. 

 They should be straight and strong enough for the purpose. 

 On these trees I place the tree requiring to be moved, lifting 

 the mass by the aid of a screw-jack until I can roll one of the 

 trees underneath. Then treat the other side the same, and 

 the platform rests safely on the two prostrate trees. These 

 should be wedged to prevent them rolling. Now two pairs of 

 wheels or gins are placed astride the trees, running them back 

 to back until they reach the tree and bulk of soil which is 

 placed on them. By fastening as above described and draw- 

 ing down the shafts the weight is safely suspended. Nothing 

 remains now but to yoke the horses and draw the wheels — one 

 pair of course running backwards — and the home-made tree- 

 moving macbine is complete. 



To remove the mass from the wheels, ropes and rollers are 

 again used. When the tree is in the hole, its correct depth 

 having been previously ascertained, unscrew the holdfasts at 

 the corners and take away the cross planks. Block the other 

 planks at the ends except the middle one, draw this away, and 

 then the next and next, finishing at the sides, and the work is 

 complete so far as regards the moving. With due attention to 

 firming and watering, trees of great size can be moved by this 

 simple means. 



My practice is not given because it is the best, but as en- 

 abling anyone to make his own tree-lifting machine from 

 materials which are found in nearly every village. Properly- 

 constructed tree -lifters are often a hundred miles from the 

 place where they are required, and by making known this 

 efficient substitute it can hardly fail to meet the rtquiremeuts 

 of some of the readers of the Journal, and, perhaps, of " T. S.," 

 who on page li8 of the present volume seeks advice on this 

 question. — A. M., Essex. 



GLOXINIAS AT M. LOUIS VAN HOUTTE'S. 



Mr. Lucehuesi in hia seasonable remarks on raising these 

 beautiful plants from seed reminds me of a display I have 

 seen in the famed Belgian establishment of M. Van Houtte. 

 This collection certainly merits notice, as being probably the 

 most extensive in the world and of unsurpassable merit. 

 The mode of culture adopted is exceedingly simple and alto- 

 gether different to that commonly seen and described in 

 England. It may not be adapted to our wants and ways, yet 

 in a more limited manner it may possibly be successfully car- 

 ried out by those desirous of raising the finest corms in the 

 quickest manner and with the smallest amount of cost in 

 attention. 



The collection in bloom at the time of my visit consisted of 

 50,000 plants, each plant carrying twenty to fifty flowers, and 

 set in foliage of the most perfect health imaginable. The 

 period was in September, and every plant was raised from seed 

 sown in the spring, and not one plant was potted, or ever had 

 been, during the period of its existence. Betides this collec- 

 tion there were numbers of plants grown in pots for the 

 decoration of the different glass structures, and these were 

 fine, yet they did not equal in freedom of growth and size of 

 blooms the immense stocka planted out to raise roots for ex- 



