TRANSPLANTING. 



27 



eartli. K this be not attended to, better not to give any water 

 at all, for the hot sun will only bake the earth the harder for your 

 watering. 



The TREES MOST SUITABLE FOR PLANTING are young, healthy 

 trees of from two to four years' growth. It is difficult to 

 transplant large trees successfully, on account of the impossibility 

 of preserving the small fibrous roots, which are most numerous 

 towards the extremities of the large roots, in sufficient quantity 

 to support the tree. It is through the small fibrous roots that 

 the tree derives its nourishment from the ground, and, therefore, 

 the more numerous they are the more likely the tree is to thrive, 

 and more of these can be taken up entire in removing a small 

 tree than a large one. Young trees, that have been grown in 

 suitable soil and properly taken up, wiU be furnished with a 

 good supply of roots. The best soil in which to grow young 

 trees for transplanting is a good, sandy loam. They will make 

 much better and more fibrous roots in such a soil than when 

 grown in stiff clay, and are consequently more likely to live and 

 thrive well when transplanted. Some have entertained the 

 opinion that trees from a sandy soil wiU not thrive when 

 planted in clay, and that trees from a 

 clay soil will not thrive when removed 

 to sandy soil. This is a great mistake. 

 A tree well supplied with fibrous roots 

 will thrive in any soil, and the nurse- 

 ryman who consults the best interests 

 of his customers will select a rich, 

 sandy loam in which to grow lus 

 yoimg trees, experience having taught 

 us that in such a soil they throw out 

 an abundance of small and fibrous 

 roots. In taking up a tree, it is im- 

 possible but that some of the roots 

 will be cut off, but a tree that has been 

 well taken up will have something of 

 the appearance shoAvn in Fig. 20 ; Fia n. Fia 22. Fic. 20. 



