266 The Farm Woodlot 



or wagon. Skids are often more convenient than a wagon 

 when there is no snow. The ball of earth on the roots 

 will be hard frozen and will hold together readily. When 

 the tree has been brought near its location, remove the 

 covering from the hole and dirt pile. Lower the tree into 

 the hole so that it is a little deeper than it was before. 

 Fill in around the ball of earth with the soft earth, packing 

 it firmly so that there is a good contact with the ball and 

 with the sides of the hole. Leave a layer of straw over 

 the fill to prevent injury from the freezing and thawing 

 in the spring. If this method is carefully practiced, the tree 

 should be affected little by its move. Care should be taken 

 to secure all the roots, for if pruning of the top is neces- 

 sary, the shape of an evergreen is likely to be spoiled. 



By means of these methods, it is possible to transplant 

 almost any tree, but there is a limit of labor and expense 

 beyond which it is not usually advisable to go. With 

 the increase in the size of the tree, there is an enormous 

 increase in labor. As a general rule, it does not pay to 

 transplant a tree that is more than three or four inches in 

 diameter. In this connection it must be remembered 

 that much of the pleasure derived from a lawn tree is ob- 

 tained from observing its growth and development. In 

 this respect comparatively young trees are even better 

 than the older ones which are no longer making very 

 apparent changes. 



THE PRUNING OF TREES 



The pruning of trees is an operation that very easily 

 may be overdone. It is necessary under the following 

 conditions: when the roots have been injured; when dead 



