TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES. 33 



species of trees comprised sycamore, lime, elm, beech, 

 and poplars, &c. ; the greater number, however, are 

 sycamore. The writer having frequent occasion to 

 pass along the highway, took particular interest in 

 watching the progress of this strange, unpromising 

 row of trees. During the first five years after plant- 

 ing, the only signs of vitality were the putting forth 

 a few small shoots at the junction of the dead 

 branches with the stem ; and for several winters subse- 

 quently the number of dead branches upon them made 

 them still appear as if quite lifeless. In the course of 

 the next five years, and up to the present time, the 

 progress of growth has been quite marvellous ; and 

 not only are the stems shooting up, and rapidly assum- 

 ing the character of timber trees, but the branches 

 are growing equally well, altogether forming, if not 

 magnificent tops, at least handsome and beautiful 

 trees, well formed and proportionably grown. General 

 height of the tree, 20 to 30 feet ; girth of stem 

 near the ground, 3 J to 4J feet, with clean stem 8 feet, 

 which is a very good proportion for hedgerow trees. 

 In this case nature, unaided and unassisted, was about 

 ten years in accomplishing that which by the aid of 

 art she would have done in three years. One re- 

 markable circumstance in this case was the small 

 number of trees that actually perished. 



The explanation of this phenomenal success appears 

 to be that the trees were so far deficient in branches 

 as to bring them into fair balance with their roots. 

 The branches upon a tree are arranged and disposed 

 very much the same as the roots are. In this case, 

 however, in consequence of the trees having grown 

 slowly in girth previous to transplanting by standing 

 closely together amongst others, they thus underwent 



c 



