350 Transplantation of Coniferous Forest Trees. 



from a sev^ere attack of rheumatism, which has prevented him 

 from making a full report on the culture of the Arrow Root ; 

 and promises to do so as soon as he recovers. In my previous 

 communications to you, I hinted at making a few cursory 

 observations on the difference of success in the cultivation of 

 plants, and transplantation of trees, from altitude of moun- 

 tains and elevated lands in the same line of latitude, and those 

 taken from a similarity of soils, more on a level Avith the 

 ocean in adverse latitudes, whether high or low. It appears 

 you have communicated my previous letters, which were pub- 

 lished in the Boston Magazine of Horticulture., edited by C. 

 M. Hovey, Esq., of which t acknowledge the receipt of May 

 and July numbers. I was truly pleased with the perusal of 

 a paper so admirably adapted to the wants of this country, 

 eliciting so much valuable and practical information, which 

 should meet the most sanguine wishes of every lover of Hor- 

 ticultural pursuits and Botanical science : liberal favors should 

 be extended to such a work as the present, and also the one 

 to be published on the Fruits of America, which, we hope, 

 will meet with a large share of public patronage. 



In the autumn of 1840, I suggested to several gentlemen of 

 Charleston, S. C, the probability of success in the transplan- 

 tation of some of our coniferous forest-trees, to their region. 

 They replied to me that the experiment had been tried for 

 several years, and had invariably failed ; although every thing 

 had been tried to crown their efforts with success. Notwith- 

 standing this discouraging answer, I was determined to try 

 the experiment, and impose on them the enterprise ; knowing 

 that many of their specimens were taken from the elevated 

 table-lands of that State, or the swamps of our country — with 

 the roots denuded of earth, often shipped in the spring — arriv- 

 ing there withered by exposure. With these hints of the sup- 

 posed cause of failure, I accordingly selected a soil in this 

 country, as our sandy plains in exposed situations, to take up 

 my trees, having in view the similarity of soils in Carolina, 

 in which I was to transplant them ; they were principally the 

 Balsam-fir, intermixed with varieties of the Spruce, amount- 

 ing to some hundreds, varying from one to six feet in height, 

 taken up the latter part of October, with a large ball of earth 

 on their roots, and packed in crates. They arrived there safe 



