CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF NUESERY TREES. 89 



terminal bud of the yearling slioot, to produce lateral 

 brandies. When taken from the seed-bed, the 2)hants, 

 instead of the single tap-root, ten or twelve inches 

 long, will have three or four roots from four to eight 

 inches in length. These roots are shortened, and the 

 plants set in the nursery rows, when a mass of fibrous 

 roots will be produced. If the trees remain in the 

 nursery for more than two years, the roots are again 

 shortened. 



A healthy pear tree, three or four years old, twice 

 transplanted, is worth fifty per cent more than one 

 of the same age, though of much greater size, remain- 

 ing wdiere it was budded. When the trees are lifted 

 in tlie nursery, observe wdiether the roots are fibrous, 

 and numerous ; and if they are not, but consist of long, 

 naked roots, or of two or three straight forks, their 

 chances of successful transplanting are very small. 



CAUSES OF THE FAILURE OF NURSERY TREES. 



The various causes of the failure of trees obtained 

 from nurseries would require almost a lifetime to 

 investigate, and a volume for their enumeration. A 

 few that have fallen under our observation will be 

 simply narrated, without discussion. 



1. The too c^reat crowdinir of the trees in the nurs- 

 ery rows, by which u fair supply of roots cannot be 

 obtained. 



2. The trees are dug with too little care, and sent 

 away with mangled and shortened roots. 



3. Purchasers are not always sufiiciently liberal to 

 be willing to pay for the best trees, or for matting and 

 packing them. 



