34 TRANSPLANTING 



various sizes, made to lift from J to 8 or TO tons, can be obtained, which 

 reduce the trouble to a minimum, as they have apparatus for hoisting the 

 mass of earth and lowering it again. But it is only on large estates and 

 in public parks and gardens that there is sufficient transplanting to justify 

 the considerable cost of these machines. Much, however, can be done with 

 a lifting jack, rollers, and planks, the plant being rolled up an inclined 

 plane out of its hole on to a low trolly to be taken to its destination. 



Preparation of Large Trees for Removal. Where it is desired 

 to transplant particularly valuable or important trees, especially trees that 

 have long been undisturbed, and are known to have their feeding roots so 

 far spread out from the stem as to make it impossible to take a necessary 

 proportion of them with the tree, it is often desirable to prepare the 

 " ball " six months, a year, or even two years beforehand. It is done in 

 this way. The dimensions of the " ball " to be removed are .fixed on and 

 marked out. A trench is dug out rather nearer the stem than the marked 

 lines, and as deep as the roots go. All the roots, of course, are roughly 

 severed in the process, and these should be cut cleanly back. It is 

 important that tap roots, if they exist, should be severed also, and to do 

 this half the "ball" or less should be undermined, and then filled in 

 again before another section is dealt with. After all this is done, the 

 trench should be filled in again, the soil rammed firmly and watered. 



The object of this process is to provide the tree with a stock of fibrous 

 roots so near to the stem that they, or most of them, can be taken away 

 with it at the time of transplanting, and thereby enable it to take hold 

 ^of the soil at once in its new quarters. One growing season at least 

 must elapse between the preparation of the' tree and its ultimate removal. 

 Some trees may be prepared in the early spring and removed in the 

 autumn of the same year. With most a full year should be allowed. In 

 some cases it may be well to prepare half the " ball " one year and the 

 other half the next. This is to avoid the check caused by severing all 

 the roots at one time. 



Time for Transplanting. The most convenient time for the 

 removal of trees and shrubs is during the winter months, say from the 

 middle of October to the middle of March. With very few exceptions, 

 all deciduous trees and shrubs may be transplanted with safety during 

 that period. Still, the earlier part of the time is better than the latter 

 part. As far as possible all deciduous plants should be planted after the 

 leaves have changed colour, but just before they fall. The roots are not 

 yet inactive, and they get a grip of the new soil before winter sets in. The 

 period, however, is so short that this must be regarded rather as counsel 

 of perfection than as being always practicable. The worst time for the 

 work is during the period of dry east winds in March and early April. 

 But after that again there frequently comes a time when, if the work has 



