WHEN TO TRANSPLANT, ETC. 53 
above the mean temperature of the air. Some soils are 
much warmer than others, and serve as a natural hot-bed 
for the roots of the newly-set tree, encouraging the for- 
mation of a callus on cut and bruised roots as well as the 
emission of many new roots, and so preparing for a 
vigorous start in the spring, as well as a successful win- 
tering. The greater cold of the air preyents the buds 
from starting until the warmth of spring, when vegeta- 
tion generally becomes active. 
Where the climate is too cold for the newly-set 
trees to carry forward the healing of cut and bruised 
roots, which is the case where winter sets in early, and 
the ground freezes as deep as the roots extend, there will 
be great danger from fall planting. The freezing and 
thawing of all heavy soils operates greatly to the disad- 
vantage of all newly-planted trees. In warm, dry, and 
sandy soils, if the setting is well done any time before 
winter begins, or even during the mild spells of winter, 
success is a reasonable expectation. 
The soil is cold in the spring, and is much more 
slowly heated than the air, which stimulates the buds, 
and new leaves are developed more rapidly than the 
roots, and, as a consequence, the reduced roots of the 
transplanted tree are heavily taxed to supply the needed 
moisture. Now unless the top was cut back in pro- 
portion to the roots, the tree will suffer, and may die. 
Often the spring-set tree leaves out as well as the fall-set 
tree, but suddenly dries up and fails because the roots 
can not supply moisture. It does not matter whether a 
tree is just set, or has been long established, if moisture 
does not get into its top as fast as it dries out the tree 
will die, in the summer or winter, fall or spring. 
Trees set in the fall are in more favorable circumstances 
to get the benefit of the winter and spring rains to settle 
the earth among their roots ; and being thus established, 
they are ready to commence new growth in the first warm 
