Care in Planting Trees 169 



As a result of these losses the balance between crown and 

 root, between consumption and supply of water, is disturbed, 

 and, unless this balance is at once reestablished by pruning 

 at the top and by favorable conditions for replacement of 

 lost parts at the root, a part of the crown must die. 



This trouble may be nearly or entirely avoided by trans- 

 planting with a ball of earth, when the root system is not at 

 all disturbed. This is usually practicable only with small 

 plants; as a rule, transplanting is done with the naked roots. 

 Care should then be had to take up as much as practicable 

 of the root system, keeping it intact, using a fork rather 

 than a spade, and keeping in mind that the root tips are the 

 important part; then the roots should be immediately pro- 

 tected against drying out by covering with moist soil, wet 

 4 bagging, moss, etc., and be kept moist until the tree is reset. 



If it has not been possible to secure the entire root system 

 practically intact, then a proportionate amount of the crown 

 system should also be removed by cutting back branches, 

 using at the same time the opportunity for correcting the 

 form (see page 98). This pruning is best done just before 

 setting the tree, or, more conveniently, at once after setting 

 while the knowledge of the conditions of the root system is 

 still fresh in mind. If it is neglected, parts of the crown 

 will die and these may not be the parts we are wilHng to 

 spare. It does not matter much if the pruning at the top 

 were more severe than necessary; the opposite matters 

 much more. 



When receiving nursery stock it should be opened at 

 once in a shady cool place and the root packing should be 

 examined. If it is dry and hot, the chance of securing a 

 living plant is small. Nevertheless, by proper treatment 

 plants may sometimes be recuperated ; some species especially 

 will stand a good deal of maltreatment and are able to recover. 



