PROPER SEASON FOR PLANTING. 21 



dry, the bark shrivels, and death ensues before new 

 roots can be produced to contribute a fresh supply.* 

 From this it will be readily seen, that for evergreens, 

 with large thick leaves, as hollies, Portugal laurels, 

 evergreen oaks, &c., and others, which, from not 

 having been previously transplanted, will be coarse- 

 rooted when removed, a warm moist season, just 

 before they make their young shoots, or when they 

 are nearly ripe, and while the sap is still in an active 

 state, will be the best season to transplant. And if 

 the roots are "puddled" when planted, it will greatly 

 assist them. And if their leaves can be kept syringed 

 when the atmosphere is dry, for a fortnight or three 

 weeks after planting, by that time fresh roots will 

 have been made, and the plants are safe. It will, 

 however, be only with a comparatively limited number 

 of trees that the latter precaution can, of course, be 

 adopted. 



Of the highly beneficial results which are produced 

 by the practice just alluded to in cases where failure 

 is to be apprehended, we give the following example : 

 The evergreen oak is proverbially difficult to trans- 

 plant successfully, more failures are experienced with 

 it than with any other tree : but with good manage- 



* We may observe here, that, whenever the leaves of newly-planted 

 evergreens dry up and remain upon the branches, death invariably follows, 

 although sometimes the roots and lower parts of the stem will retain 

 sufficient vitality to produce new shoots. But if, on the contrary, the 

 leaves fall off soon after planting, and the bark appears plump and 

 healthy, they will not die, but one or two seasons will be required to 

 enable them to recover their natural vigour. These remarks do not 

 apply to Coniferous plants, Heaths, and a few others. When they lose 

 their foliage, recovery very rarely follows ; nor will they push new shoots 

 from below, like ordinary evergreen shrubs. 



