354 ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 



NEW YORK STATE PROGRAM, 1889. 



ornamental planting. Trees of any size can be successfully transplanted, but 

 in proportion to the size grows the difficulty, the amount of work and the care 

 necessary. As a rule the largest size should not exceed two to three inches in 

 diameter at the base and ten to fifteen feet in height. Those one-half that size 

 will probably make better growth, because less of their root-system will be 

 curtailed in taking them up for transplanting. 



3. Diagnosis of a tree suitable for transplanting. a. An abundance of fibrous 

 roots. Not the turnip-like main or tap-root but the little fibers sustain the life 

 of a tree. See that there are plenty of them, compactly grown within a small 

 compass, and that they are not stripped of their bark or torn at their ends or 

 dried up. 



b. A normal form and well-proportioned development of shaft and crown. 

 The shaft should be clean and straight, neither thick set and short, nor thread- 

 like and over elongated, but gradually tapering and strong enough to hold up 

 its head without support. The normal crown is characterized by vigorous full- 

 sized leaves, or else by a large number of thick and full buds ; it covers the main 

 stem one-third to one-half its length, with a sym metric spread evenly branched, 

 and has only one leader, of moderate length. 



The length and vigor of the last year's shoots, number and thickness of buds, 

 and appearance of the bark afford means of judging the healthy constitution 

 of the tree. 



c. The position from which the tree came has some influence on its further 

 development. Trees from the forest have generally a wide-spreading root- 

 system, which is difficult to take up and transplant. Those which have grown 

 in the shade of the forest as a rule do not start easily in the open sunlight; 

 those from cool north sides are apt to sicken when placed on hot exposures 

 and vice versa. A healthy tree from poor soil transferred into better conditions 

 will show itself grateful by vigorous development. 



Treatment before transplanting. Transplanting is at best a forcible oper- 

 ation, and injury to the roots, although it may be small, is almost unavoidable. 

 The roots are the life of the tree, and need, therefore, the most attention. In 

 taking up a tree for transplanting the greatest care must be exercised to secure 

 as much of the root-system intact as possible, especially of the small fibrous 

 roots. 



a. Never allow roots to become dry, from the time of taking up the tree until it is 

 transplanted. A healthy-looking tree may have the certainty of death in it if 

 the root fibrils are dried out. To prevent drying during transportation, cover 

 the roots with moist straw or moss or bags, or leave on them as much soil of 

 the original bed as possible. At the place where the tree is to be planted, if 

 the planting cannot be done at once, " heel in " the roots, i. e., cover them and 

 part of the lower stem with fresh earth, or place the tree in the plant hole, 

 throwing several spadefuls of earth on the roots. 



b. Pruning roots and branches is almost always necessary, but must be done 

 with great care, especially as to root pruning. The cutting at the roots should 

 be as little as possible, only removing with a clean sharp cut the bruised and 

 broken parts. Extra long tap-roots may be cut away, but all the small fibers 

 should be preserved. The cutting at the top is done to bring crown and root 

 into proportion ; the more loss at the root-system has been experienced the 

 more need of reducing the crown system. Larger trees, therefore, require 

 mostly severer pruning, especially on poor soils; yet if there be fibrous roots 

 enough to sustain great evaporation from the crown, the less cut the better. 

 With large trees severe pruning is less dangerous than too little. A clean cut 

 as close as possible to the stem or remaining branch will facilitate the healing 

 of the wound. No stumps should be left (except with conifers, which suffer but 

 little pruning). Shortening of the end shoots to one-half or two-thirds of their 

 length may be done a little above a bud which is to take the lead. As a rule, 

 the pruning for symmetry should have been done a year or so before trans- 

 planting, but may be done a year after. 



