PREPARING THE SOIL. 48 



food ; and that the chance of complete success is lessened, by 

 every one of these points that is bruised or destroyed. If we 

 could remove trees with every fibre entire, as we do a plant in 

 a pot, they would scarcely show any sign of their change of posi- 

 tion. In most cases, especially in that of trees taken from 

 nurseries, this is, by the operation of removal, nearly impos- 

 sible. But although we may not hope to get every root entire, 

 we may, with proper care, preserve by far the larger portion of 

 them, and more particularly the small and delicate fibres. After 

 being taken up, they should be planted directly ; or, if this can- 

 not be done, they should be kept from drying by a covering of 

 mats, and when sent to a distance by being packed in damp 

 moss.* 



Preparing the places. Here is the fatal stumbling block of 

 all novices and ignorant persons in transplanting. An English 

 gardener, when he is about to plant fruit trees, talks about pre- 

 paring Ids borders, an American says he will dig his holes ; and 

 we cannot give a more forcible illustration of the ideas of two 

 persons as to the wants of a fruit tree, or a better notion of the 

 comparative provision made to supply these wants, than by con- 

 trasting the two phrases themselves. The one looks upon a tree 

 as a living being, whose life is to be rendered long, vigorous, and 

 fruitful by a good supply of food, and a soil mellow and easily 

 penetrated by the smallest fibre ; the other considers it very 

 much in the light of a truncheon or a post, which he thrusts 

 into the smallest possible hole, and supplies with the least portion 

 of manure, trusting to what he seems to believe the inextinguish- 

 able powers of nature to make roots and branches under any 

 circumstances. It is true that the terms differ somewhat from 

 the nature of the culture and the greater preparation necessary 

 in planting fruit trees in England, but this is not by any means 

 sufficient to justify the different modes of performing the same 

 operation there and here. 



In truth, in this country, where the sun and climate are so 

 favourable, where pruning and training are comparatively so 

 little necessary, the great requisite to success in the ordinary 

 culture of fruit trees is the proper preparation of the soil before 

 a tree is planted. Whether a transplanted tree shall struggle 

 several years to recover, or grow moderately after a short time, 

 or at once start into a very luxuriant and vigorous growth, de- 

 pends entirely upon the amount of care and labor the planter is 

 willing to bestow on the soil for his trees. We have seen seve- 

 ral instances where, side by side, one man planted his trees in 

 large spaces of deeply moved and rich soil, and another in 



* We should notice an important exception to this in the case of trees packed for 

 shipping across the Atlantic. In this case they should be packed only in dry moss; 

 the moisture of the sea air being sufficient to keep the roots in good condition, 

 while if packed in damp moss they will be injured by rotting or excessive growth. 



