198 THE PRACTICAL PLANTER. 



A full year before they are intended to be 

 removed, let a trench be dug out, a foot in 

 width, to the depth of all the roots, and at 

 a distance of from one to three feet from the 

 stem all round, according to the size of the 

 plant ; allowing the extremes of height to 

 be four, and ten feet, making the ball from 

 two to six feet in diameter. Lay the good 

 surface earth in one place, and the bad, or 

 bottom earth, in another. With a round - 

 pronged fork, work gently into the sides of 

 the bally until the ends of the larger roots 

 be exposed a few inches. Dress them smooth 

 with a sharp knife. Fill in the trench with 

 the surface mould laid aside, and with mould 

 gathered from the adjacent surface ; reject- 

 ing the bad earth, and treading all gently 

 with the foot. 



But, for plants which have never been 

 tapped, besides the above treatment, it is 

 necessary, when the trench is thrown out, 

 to heel the plant over to one side, and cut 

 its tap 9 or any roots which tend downwards ; 

 observing, at this time, to remove a few 

 inches of the bad, and replace with good 

 earth, that part immediately under the balL 



