280 TRANSPLANTING AND PLANTING. 



by the mere force of gravity, and without recoiling like horses. The 

 tree being drawn down, it is next forcibly held in that position, until 

 earth is raised to the height of a foot or more, on the opposite side of 

 the pit, so that, as soon as it is liberated, it springs up and stops against 

 the bank thus formed. On this the workmen proceed to lighten the 

 mass of earth with the picker, laying bare the roots as little as possible, 

 but still necessarily reducing the mass to manageable dimensions. The 

 tree is then pulled down on the opposite side, and a foot of earth forced 

 up, in a similar manner ; and the same thing being repeated once or 

 twice, it is gradually raised to even a higher level than that of the 

 adjoining surface. In this manner, by a method extremely simple, and 

 not less expeditious, whatever it may appear in the narrative, it 

 becomes quite an easy instead of a formidable undertaking to draw the 

 tree from the pit." ('Planter's Guide,' 2nd ed., p. 243.) 



Transporting and Replanting the Tree. The machine used by Sir 

 Henry Steuart consisted of a pole and two wheels, with a smaller wheel 

 occasionally used, which is fixed at the extremity of the pole, and turns 

 on a pivot. The pole operates both as a powerful lever to bring down 

 the tree to a horizontal position, and in conjunction with the wheels as 

 a still more powerful conveyance to remove it to its new situation. 

 The wheels of the machine are brought close up to the body of the 

 tree, and the stem laid along the pole, with the largest branches 

 uppermost, in order that no branch or root of considerable length 

 should be suffered to sweep the ground during the time of transpor- 

 tation. The tree thus attached to the pole is drawn to its destination 

 by horses, and placed upright in a shallow pit, which is, if possible, 

 opened and prepared a twelvemonth beforehand by trenching and mixing 

 manure, and exposing the soil in the bottom of the pit to the influence 

 of the weather. The transplanted tree, after being set upright, and the 

 soil carefully rammed into all the cavities about the roots, is held in its 

 position, either by posts or stakes above ground, by horizontal poles 

 under it, or by forming a circular bank of earth on the extremities of 

 the main roots. The great success which attended the operations of 

 this distinguished planter may, we conceive, be chiefly owing to the 

 care with which they were performed, to the circumstance that the 

 trees were always prepared for three or four or more years beforehand, 

 and the extraordinary moistness of the climate in that part of Scotland. 

 It is a common practice in England to prepare the trees only one year 

 before removal, in which case, as Sir Henry very justly observes, 

 " the fresh fibres being nearly as tender as the roots of an onion or a 

 cabbage, can neither be extricated nor handled without sensible in- 

 jury." In the case of shrubs, however, one year will be found 

 sufficient for many kinds that rapidly emit a great number of roots. 

 The earth round a newly transplanted tree should always be consoli- 

 dated by heavy waterings, and it is a good practice to cover the surface 

 with a mulching four inches thick, for the double purpose of keeping 

 the moisture in and the cold out. 



Transplanting by Shortening the Roots, without permitting them to throw 

 out Fibres at their Extremities. This mode has not been much practised, 



