EXERCISE 74 

 TRANSPLANTING TREES OR SHRUBS 



Materials. Small trees, not over six feet tall, or shrubs of any 

 kind available. Materials may be purchased, but it is as well to 

 find wild trees or shrubs that may be dug up and transplanted to 

 the school grounds. The work should be done in the spring before 

 the buds start. 



Directions for work. Dig up the shrubs or trees with care to 

 secure rather long, uninjured roots. Are you able to secure the 

 whole root system ? Protect the roots from the air and sun 

 while the plants are taken to their new location. 



At the point where each plant is to be placed dig a hole at 

 least two feet in diameter and deep enough to set the plant 

 slightly deeper than it was originally. With a sharp knife trim 

 off any broken or diseased roots and set the plant in the hole. 

 Spread out the roots in their natural position and let one 

 member of the class hold the plant in position while others 

 fill in the earth about the roots. Pack the earth firmly. 



Prune the top with reference to (1) the form which you 

 wish the plant to have in the future and (2) the necessity of 

 reducing the leaf surface to correspond with the reduced roots. 

 In the case of a shrub it is common to cut back all the branches 

 to a common height. A tree is pruned so as to favor retaining 

 a single central stem. Any tendency to fork should be corrected 

 by removing one of the branches at that point. Small branches 

 which will later be overshadowed and killed by more vigorous 

 ones should be removed as well as all lower branches which 

 will later be objectionable. Each of the remaining branches 

 should be shortened by cutting at a point just beyond a vigorous 

 lateral bud. 



Soak the soil about the roots with water occasionally. Loosen 

 up the top soil if it shows any tendency to become hard and 

 caked. . 



Observe the growth of the transplants from time to time dur- 

 ing the spring. Report upon the success or failure of the attempt 

 at transplanting, and try to account for any failure noted. 



[92] 



