No. 12. 



Transplanting Trees. 



377 



TRANSPLANTING TREES. 

 FROM Jessie's gleanings. 



" I HAVE adopted a method of transplanting trees, which I consider more generally to be 

 depended upon, and much cheaper, than that invented by Sir H. Stevart. On an experiment 

 upon a large scale, and under many disadvantages, I have not lost a single tree out of many 

 hundreds, some of which were of large size, and showing their blossom at the time of their 

 removal. The plan I adopted was as follows. In the first place, the earth must be excava- 

 ted at some distance from the tree, leaving all the principal fibres and the earth adhering to 

 them, in a compact ball, undermining it as much as possible, and taking care not to shake 

 or injure the ball by twisting the stem of the tree, or using it as a lever to loosen the tap- 

 roots; when this has been done, and a corresponding hole made at the place to which the 

 tree is intended to be removed, the following method of taking it up and conveying it, is to 

 be used. 



Two pieces of iron must be previously formed, of the breadth and thickness of a common 

 cart-wheel tire, three or four inches wide, and rather more than half an inch in thickness, 

 and about six feet long, bent in the form shown at A, which will reduce it to three feet 

 across. This size will do for trees requiring from two to four men to lift them ; but a size, 

 larger and stronger in proportion, will be wanted for trees which will require from eight to 

 ten or more men to carry them. Put these irons under the ball of the earth as near the 

 centre as possible, leaving a space between them of about two feet, and for larger trees a 

 little more; then, run two strong poles, about eight or ten feet long or more, stout in pro- 

 portion, and smaller at each end, and apply them as shovv^n at B, to each side, passing them 

 through the bends of the iron, so as to form a complete hand-barrow; then the tree may be 

 lifted easily. Cross levers may be used for larger trees which require more men, as at C, 

 so that as many as are wanted can apply their strength, without being in each other's way. 

 The whole is fixed and unfixed without any loss of time, and requires no tying; nor is 

 there any danger of slipping off. One of the chief advantages of this method is, that the 

 tree is supported on the ball of earth instead of the earth being supported by the fibres of 

 the roots, as is usual in most cases; for even in moving large trees with trucks, sledges, &c., 

 most of the mischief is done in loading and unloading, and adjustitig the tree to a proper po- 

 sition: all which can be done by the above method, without in the least injuring the fibres 

 &.c. The roots which extend beyond the ball of earth must be cut oft' at the outer side of 

 the trench, and be left projecting; and in taking up, it is advisable to go much wider with 

 the spade from it, than the ball of earth is intended to be; the ball being afterwards reduced, 

 if need bo, by a pick, so that a single root need not be injured by it. In removing very large 

 trees, the tap-roots which cannot easily be got at, may be separated readily, by a long chisel 

 applied under the ball of earth and driven by a mallet; but in moderate-sized trees this will 

 not be found necessary. This mode of transplanting trees is much cheaper and more suc- 

 cessful than that of Sir H. Stewart; more generally applicable to every description of tree, 

 and shrub, particularly to many whose fibrous roots cannot be exposed without destruction 

 to the tree; by taking them up in the manner above described, and when in leaf and even 

 blossom, they do not appear to feel the removal ; and again, trees thus removed do not re- 

 quire support from stakes, as the hole dug for their reception might be made to fit exactly the 

 bottom of the large ball of earth, which will then be found to steady them very sufficiently." 



