60 Transplanting. 



A few experiments only are needed to convince any one of the 

 advantages of thus cutting in the shoots. Some years ago an 

 orchardist carefully transplanted one hundred and eighty apple- 

 trees into good mellow soil. The roots had been cut rather short in 

 digging. One-half had their tops shortened back, so as to leave 

 only one bud of the previous season's wood ; the heads of the other 

 half were suffered to remain untouched. The season proved favor- 

 able. Of the ninety which had their heads pruned, only two died, 

 and nearly all made fine shoots, many being eighteen inches long. 

 Of the ninety unpruned, eight died ; most of them made but little 

 growth, and none more than six inches. Both the first and second 

 year, the deep green and luxuriant foliage of the pruned trees afford- 

 ed a strong contrast with the paler and more feeble appearance of 

 the other. A similar experiment was made with seventy-eight 

 peach-trees, of large size, three years' growth from the bud. One- 

 half were headed back ; the rest were unpruned. The season was 

 rather dry, and twelve of the thirty-nine unpruned trees perished ; 

 and only one of those which were headed back. The unpruned 

 which survived lost parts or the whole of the upper portions of their 

 branches ; the pruned made fine bushy heads of new shoots. In 

 another instance, trees only one year's growth from the bud, trans- 

 planted in the usual manner unpruned, were placed side by side 

 with others of four years' growth, and with trunks an inch and a 

 half in diameter, the heads being pruned to one-quarter their size. 

 The growth of the former was feeble ; the large trees, with pruned 

 heads, grew vigorously. 



The degree to which this shortening should be carried must de- 

 pend much on climate. In the cool moist atmosphere of England, 

 the leaves perspire less, and a larger number may remain without 

 exhausting the supply from the roots. In this country the perspira- 

 tion is more rapid, and fewer leaves can be fed, until new roots fur- 

 nish increased supplies. 



Cutting back after the buds have swollen, or the leaves expanded, 

 seriously checks growth, and should never be performed except 

 on very small trees, or on such as the peach, which quickly repro- 

 duce new shoots. 



Trees which quickly reproduce new shoots, as the peach, may be 

 more closely shortened back than others having a less reproductive 

 power, as the apple. The cherry throws out a new growth still 

 more reluctantly, and hence more care is needed in digging up the 

 roots entire. 



Preparing the roots. Before a tree is set in the earth, all the 



