30 PLANTING. 



stood about twelve years in their present situation. 

 On their removal they were carefully dug round in 

 the usual way, their tops reduced, and the whole 

 operations conducted with skill and care, resulting 

 in all the trees growing remarkably well. Again, 

 about eight years subsequently, owing to the widen- 

 ing of a road at the place, it became once more neces- 

 sary to lift the whole of the trees, and remove them 

 backwards a distance of about 5 feet towards the 

 field side. On this occasion, however, the trees were 

 lifted without any preparation, and planted without 

 at all reducing their tops. The results were, that 

 more than one-half of them either perished or became 

 so sickly that only the very faintest hopes were enter- 

 tained of their recovery. 



Considering the advantages these trees enjoyed by 

 being removed several times previously, and conse- 

 quently more than usually well rooted, they would 

 almost to a certainty have grown well on their third 

 removal but for want of reducing their tops propor- 

 tionately. The writer is aware that the operation of 

 top-pruning is objected to on account of disfiguring the 

 tree ; this, however, is the result only of unskilful and 

 unpractised hands, and has by no means a bad effect 

 when carefully performed. 



Last spring I had the opportunity of observing an 

 elm-tree transplanted in a conspicuous public place ; 

 the tree was 14 feet high, and very proportionably 

 and well grown. The work was well performed, and 

 at a good season of the year (the latter end of March). 

 From the moderate size of the tree, its state of growth, 

 &c., success might have been anticipated ; yet, sad to 

 relate, total failure was the result ! What was the 

 cause of the sudden death to which the tree sue- 



