241 



PLANTING. 



to be staked, because tlie roots form 

 a broad base, which prevents the 

 stem from being blown to one side. 

 Whei'e there is danger anticipated 

 from high winds, the trees may be 

 secured by three guy-ropes tied to 

 the upper part of the stem, and 

 made fast to stakes driven into the 

 ground at sach a distance from the 

 tree as that the ropes may form an 

 angle with the ground of 45° ; or 

 the stronger roots may be kept in 

 their position by stakes driven into 

 the ground with their heads beneath 

 the surface of the soil ; the main 

 roots being made fast to them by 

 cords. 



In all eases of transplanting deci- 

 duous trees, with the exception of 

 the Beech and the Hornbeam, some 

 pruning should be given to the 

 top, so as to lessen the number of 

 branches and leaves which are to be 

 supplied by the root. The quantity 

 of branches that are required to be 

 removed will depend partly on the 

 kind of tree, and partly on the in- 

 tention of the planter, but mainly 

 on the climate and soil. Eeech trees, 

 as already mentioned, are injured 

 when transplanted by having many 

 branches removed, and often die in 

 consequence. Sycamores and all the 

 A^cer tribe, having numerous fibres 

 near the main stem, require but 

 little pruning of the head. The 

 same may be said of the Yew and 

 the Holly, the Lime and the Elm. 

 When the object of the planter is to 

 produce immediate effect by a bulky 

 head, all the branches may be left 

 on, whatever may be the kind of 

 tree ; but in that case the tree will 

 produce only leaves for a number of 

 years, or if it produce shoots they 

 will not exceed a few lines ia length. 

 Ultimately, if the soil be poor and 

 dry, the tree will probably perish ; 

 but if the soil should be good and 

 moist, and the climate also moist, 



the tree will in time become vigor- 

 ous, and produce shoots. Where 

 the climate is moist, and the soil 

 good, and also moist, any tree may 

 be transplanted without priming the 

 branches ; because the fibres it will 

 produce in such a soil and climate 

 will be suf&cient to supply the 

 moistiire transpired by the leaves. 

 But where the climate is dry and 

 the soil also dry, no large tree 

 can be safely transplanted with all 

 its branches ; because the transpira- 

 tion by the leaves will be much 

 greater than the moisture which can 

 possibly be absorbed by the roots. 

 Hence, in the di-y climate of the 

 Continent, all trees with stems above 

 an inch or two in diameter have their 

 branches entirely cut off, always ex- 

 cepting the Beech and the Horn- 

 beam, the Yew, and all the Pine 

 and Fir, and Cypress tribes. Even 

 in this country, in Evelyn's time, 

 this was the practice ; and the late 

 Sir Joseph Banks, when he planted 

 groups of ti*ees with stems of five 

 inches or sis inches in diameter on 

 a portion of Hounslow Heath, which 

 was allotted to his residence there, 

 planted only stumps ten feet or twelve 

 feet high, which stumps are now 

 finely-headed trees, conspicuous from 

 the road in passing Spring Grove. 

 Much has of late been written on 

 the subject of transplanting lai-ge 

 trees, by Sir Henry Steuart and 

 others ; and the practice has been 

 recommended of leaving on the whole 

 of the head. Experience, however, 

 has proved that this can only be 

 done with advantage under certain 

 circumstances. 



Planting in pots, when the plants 

 are of the very smallest size, may 

 be effected by a small dibber, as in 

 planting in the common soil ; but it 

 is more frequently done on the prin- 

 ciple of planting in pits ; that is, 

 the pot being properly drained by a. 



