SOME THOUHTS ON TRANSPLANTING TREES. 



There are few operations in American Hus- 

 bandrj', in which so much want of reflection, 

 not to say gross and vsilful neglect, is displayed, 

 as in the transplant ation of frees — whether for 

 fruit or for ornament. It must, however, he ad- 

 mitted, that in this as in all other branches of ru- 

 ral industry, much improvement has taken 

 place within a quarter of a century, since agri- 

 culturists commenced to read and to reason on 

 the ■principles that are mvolved and brought in- 

 to action in the practice of every branch of their 

 business, as well as in the business of ship-build- 

 ing, or navigation, or of manufacturing iron or 

 leather. The former practice was (to what a 

 lamentable extent it still continues !) to dig a 

 hole for a young and tender tree, as for a gate- 

 post, just large enough to jam it down, often 

 times doubling up the roots, throwyback the 

 dirt to fill up the hole, ramming it with a small 

 rammer, or the handle of the spade, or the eye of 

 a hoe, and there leave this tender creature, with- 

 out more care or attention, to take care of itself. 

 Let every reader ask himself whether there is 

 much, if any, exaggeration in this .statement of 

 the general management of young orchards 

 within his remembrance ! Is it any ^vonde^, 

 therefore, that disappointment and mortification 

 should ensue — any w'onder that if the tree lives 

 at all, its growth should be stunned, its existence 

 sickly and mifruitful, and its death premature ? 

 Why, docs any man believe that it ever was 

 intended that such management, if it be not an 

 abuse of terms to call it management, should be 

 crowned %vith success ? We might as well 

 suppose that it was ordained that man should 

 lie on liis back and have nothing to do but to 

 open his mouth, and the manna of Heaven 

 which " suits everj^ man's palate," would drop 

 into his lazy throat ! No, no ! man was com- 

 manded, not only to replenish the earth, but to 

 " subdue " it. — " In the sweat of thy face shalt 

 thou eat bread," and for our part we have some 

 difficulty in understanding in what sense the 

 necessity for labor should be deemed a curse. 

 " I have already enjoyed too much ; give me 

 Bomelhing to dcsin',"' said the Prince of Abj-ssi- 

 nia, on being asked if he wanted nothing, how 

 he could be unhappy ? 



In transplanting a tree, instead of restricting 

 our thoughts merely to its present existence and 

 vyants, it is proper that we should consider 

 what is necessary to its growth and prosperity, 

 and remember, that it will require nursing 

 (477) 15 



and care, such as we would bestow on a 

 young colt— food to sustain life and promote 

 growth, and scrubbing and vermifugent medi- 

 cines to save it from the ravages of para-sitic 

 moss, and the internal and external attacks of 

 worms and other insects ; and he who is not 

 prepared to provide the food, and to bestow the 

 care here prescribed, to feed and defend it at 

 the root, and to drive off its more open enemiei?, 

 had better sit down in his sleepy arm-chair, hug 

 indolence to his bosom, and be content to sub- 

 mit to the privations and disgrace that are the just 

 portion of men too ignorant, or too lazj', to per- 

 form the duties that belong to their employment 

 and condition in life. 



Let hira \\ho transplants a tree (and the man- 

 agement of a single one will apply to a whole 

 orchard) ask himself how and where it is to get 

 the elements of its growth ? Is it from the air ? 

 No ! for in that ca.se there would be some chance 

 for its living, when planted in the way we have 

 described ; but the support is to come through 

 the roots from the ground. Is it not, then, ob- 

 vious that we should take care of two things ? 



1st. That the grolmd contains the suitable food, 

 and 



2d. That it be pulverized and made easily 

 accessible to the roots, as far as they would be 

 inclined to go, and that inclination bears a cer- 

 tain proportion to the greatest size that the tree 

 would attain under the mo.st favorable circum- 

 stances. Suppose the young tree to be planted, as 

 used to happen, and still does in many cases, in 

 a .small hole, in hard, poor land, and then re- 

 verse all these conditiojis, as much as po,ssible, 

 and the ^■^■ork will be done in the way that com- 

 mon sense will teach every njan it should be 

 done ; and that a regard for his own jirofit and 

 reputation will lead him to do. In other words, 

 let the whole orchard, if it be an orchard, be 

 well manured, then let the whole feld, not a 

 particular round or square hole just sufficient to 

 admit the roots, but the whole field, be deep- 

 ly plowed, (if trench-plowed, so much the bet- 

 ter.) and well pulverized, and so far, and not 

 short of that, the Farmer will have, vp to that 

 point, done his duty. If the hole be made 

 much smaller than the space which would be 

 ultimately penetrated by the roots, provided 

 they had their way, in well-manured ground, 

 when the roots have extended to the circum- 

 ferent limits of the hole dug for its reception, 

 then will its growth receive a sudden check. 



