PROCEEDINGS. 



Alluding to the trees moved by Mr. Black, Mr. M'Glashen 

 says : " Various parties to whom I have stated the facts referred 

 to having expressed a decided opinion, that while the appearance 

 of these trees might in the meantime be everything that could be 

 desired, their future success was not secured, for they were 

 certain that since August they could not in the nature of things 

 have made any rootlets, I decided on distinctly ascertaining 

 this point, and determined personally to examine the roots. 

 Having now had a trench opened close to where these had been 

 cut in August, I had the satisfaction of finding the whole 

 face of the ball of an Arbor vitse and Yew, so far as couki be 

 opened by the frost in the ground, crowded with rootlets. 

 This appeared to me so satisfactory, that I have therefore 

 sent a specimen of these for inspection, in the hope that 

 they will confirm previous statements. The rootlets of the 

 Arbor vitae average at least four inches, but those from the Yew 

 are so delicate, that I fear they will be decayed before they 

 reach London, so that they will not be seen to advantage." These 

 rootlets were fresh and vigorous. And in further confirma- 

 tion of the merits of his machine, Mr. M'Glashen pi'oduced a 

 Scotch Fir in two parts, viz., the root carefully removed from the 

 soil, and the tree itself. Its height was eight feet two inches, 

 circumference of branches seventeen feet, girth of stem ten inches, 

 average length of rootlets made from those parts cut by the spades 

 of the apparatus one foot four inches, but several of the longest 

 were broken off in the lifting, and the length of shoot made last 

 season, since removal, was one foot five inches. The main root 

 measured three and a quarter inches in circumference at the part 

 cut, and it had there made good rootlets, but several were 

 wanting, having also been broken off in removal. The size of 

 the ball when transplanted was two feet one inch square at the 

 surface, one foot six inches at the bottom, and one foot five inches 

 deep. The time taken to apply the apparatus and lift the tree 

 with its ball to the surface was reported not to exceed ten minutes. 

 These facts show therefore that the evidence, so far as it goes, is 

 altogether in favour of the employment of Mr. M'Glashen's 

 apparatus for lifting young trees ; but it was remarked, that 

 satisfactory as it certainly is, it did not quite settle the question, 

 because it must be admitted that there is a great difference 

 between the demand made on the roots by a tree fifteen feet high 

 for instance, and one fifty feet in height. The results of moving very 

 large trees l)y this machine have, therefore, yet to be ascertained. 



