TRANSPLANTING. 



69 



placed in its new situation precisely as it stood before, it 

 would suffer no check in growth. The nearer then, we can 

 approach this, the greater will be our success. 



There is no difficulty in saving the leaf-bearing branches. 

 All our attention must accordingly be directed to the roots. 

 The spade should be set into the earth at a distance from 

 the tree, and ihe whole carefully lifted, not forcibly with- 

 drawn, from the soil. Or, so much of the earth should be 

 separated in a circle by the spade, that when the tree is 

 withdrawn, a large portion of the soil may be lifted with 

 it with the small fibres.* The roots of a young tree usually 

 extend in a circle quite equal to its height; the workman, 

 therefore, who cuts off all within six inches of a tree which 

 is itself eight feet high, deprives it of a large portion of 



its means of sustenance. 

 In the annexed figure, 

 a indicates the trunk of 

 the tree; bb the circle 

 of roots cut off with the 

 spade in a hasty re- 

 moval ; and without this 

 circle, the rest of the 

 roots which are left in 

 the earth. Fig. 35. 



But in ordinary, or 

 even very careful prac- 

 tice, a part of this wide 

 network of fibres must 

 necessarily be separated 

 from the tree. It is evi- 

 dent then, that the usual supplies of sap to the leaves must 

 be in part cut off. Now the leaves are constantly (during 

 day) throwing off insensible moisture into the air; and good 

 sized trees thus give off daily, many pounds. Reduce the 

 supply from below, and the leaves cannot flourish ; and if 

 the reduction is severe, the tree withers and dies. 



The remedy consists in lessening the number of leaves, 



* Some cultivators have adopted the opinion that the small fibres are unimportant, 

 and may be cut off without lessening the chances of growing. But this can only be 

 true with very small trees or seedlings, which quickly reproduce a multitude of small 

 roots, after the top is removed for the insertion of a graft ; or where the fibres of 

 larger trees have been killed by exposure after removal, and which are followed by 

 a necessary lopping of the branches. 



