ON A NEW TRANSPLANTING MACHINE. 189 



If the tree should lean to one side, have that side raised and soil 

 placed under the root and well firmed up (so that it may not sub- 

 side afterwards, a point of particular importance), till the tree 

 stands in a vertical position. The next process is to have the frame 

 disconnected as before and run clear of the tree. The iron bars are 

 next pulled from under the roots by means of a horse and tail-chain. 

 All the apparatus being now clear, the soil- is filled in and the work 

 completed. 



We transplanted thirty oaks, several of them upwards of 30 feet 

 high, and from 5 to 7 inches in diameter, besides a number of large 

 yews and other shrubs ; and, although the most of them were 

 carried upwards of half a mile, we have not had a single failure — 

 in fact, any person that did not know that the oaks were newly 

 planted would never detect it from their appearance. 



It may be stated that the trees were in no way prejxired previous 

 to transplanting, and the operations were carried on in all suitable 

 weather from the end of February till the end of April. In fact, 

 one large lime was in full leaf before being transplanted. The oaks 

 are fine healthy trees, clean in the bark, and had they not been 

 turned to account in the above way, would have been thinned out 

 and probably made into stobs ; but by transporting them as de- 

 scribed, we have filled up the lines of the old vistas, and produced 

 an effect in a few weeks which would have taken thirty years to 

 accomplish by planting small saplings. 



Note. — A number of trees were moored in the usual way with 

 strand wire, to prevent the possibility of them being "wind-waved;" 

 but the balls and roots being so solid and perfect, all such appliances 

 proved superfluous. 



The chains for raising the tree are formed of |- inch iron, 1 1 feet 

 3 inches long, with six rings in each, each ring being i\ inches in 

 diameter. Lengthening hook-chains, 18 inches long, are kept in 

 reserve should the chains prove too short for any particular speci- 

 men. In practice I found six rings were unnecessary, four rings 

 and bars in the middle of the chain immediately under the root 

 being sufficient. "When six bars were used the outer ones tended to 

 compress the edges of the root. The bars are formed of round iron, 

 about 8 feet long. The outside bars are 2 inches in diameter, and 

 the two centre bars 1J inch in diameter. Any measurements not 

 given here may be obtained from the plans. The cost of the 

 appliances, irrespective of wheels and axles, was L. 1 6. 



