The Rescue of an Old Place 



appliances for the purpose, for the largest 

 one measured six inches through, two feet 

 from the ground, and had a lofty top. 



After the trees were carefully uprooted 

 their tops were cu; off, until the main 

 stems were only about eight feet high, and 

 the branches that were left running up 

 from them were also cut back to within a 

 few feet of their union with the trunk. 

 Could we have foreseen the mildness of 

 the two succeeding winters we should have 

 been tempted to prune them less severely. 

 I am almost sure that it was unnecessary, 

 but moving them at such an unusual sea- 

 son seemed to make it wise to give them 

 more root than top. It will take about 

 four years for them to get back their origi- 

 nal stature after this severe treatment, but 

 they perhaps have escaped risks of draw- 

 backs by the way. Similar trees in this 

 town, transplanted without topping, though 

 they have lived, have shown signs of fee- 

 bleness, and I am disposed to think that 

 in the end ours will make the finer speci- 

 mens. 



The holes in which they were set were 

 dug six feet in diameter, and nearly five 

 114 



