METHODS AND PRACTICE 171 



the root tips are injured or destroyed, and until they 

 are again renewed. In damp, well-sheltered spots, during 

 mild winters, on warm soils conducive to rapid root for- 

 mation, or in late spring or early autumn planting, this 

 ripening of the shoot is of least importance, as the 

 period and intensity of the drying process is shortened 

 and reduced previous to the formation of new roots. 

 This drying process is counteracted, under ordinary 

 circumstances, by the cell walls being maintained in a 

 saturated condition by the transpiration current. With 

 the decrease of this current in winter, or its cessation 

 owing to the disturbance or destruction of roots in trans- 

 planting, the loss of moisture cannot be made good, and 

 death of the most exposed parts ensues unless the wood is 

 thoroughly ripened, as thin- walled cells lose water more 

 rapidly than those of well-ripened wood. 



In well-sheltered places, evaporation and desiccation are 

 reduced to the lowest point, mild winters are not produc- 

 tive of fatal temperatures, and warm soils are conducive 

 to rapid root formation. In spring or autumn, or early 

 and late planting, the work is done when the healing of 

 broken roots is likely to be most rapid, and the plant has 

 a greater chance of recovering. Certain species seldom 

 or never ripen their wood sufficiently to render ordinary 

 transplanting easy under two or three years of age. The 

 worst in this respect are Pinus insignis, Finns niaritima, 

 Cupressus onacrocarpa, and a few others of that class. 

 The pines do not form winter buds at all the first 

 season, and only imperfectly the second, while they are 

 both rapid growers and poor rooters. With these species 

 annual transplanting for the first two seasons, and plant- 

 ing them out finally in the third, usually gives the best 

 results, taking care that all operations are carried out in 

 October or April in each case, and that great care is 

 exercised in lifting and transplanting. Cupressus macro- 



