SEASON FOR PLANTING. 173 



5. S<'aso)i for Plantinq. 



The planting out is, after all, a violent operation, and is 

 generally accompanied by more or less injury to the root 

 system, with a temporary interruption of the growth. These 

 disadvantages can, by special care, be reduced to a minimum, 

 so that they affect the further development of the plant only 

 to a limited extent. As long as the root system is completely 

 embedded in a ball of earth, transplanting can be done at any 

 time of the year, provided the soil is in a fit condition (neither 

 frozen, nor too wet or dry). Again, plants, the roots of which 

 are not embedded in a ball of earth, can similarly be trans- 

 planted with success, provided the operation is performed 

 with care ; but as this involves extra expense, it is difficult to 

 ensure success in the case of large operations ; hence, for 

 sylvicultural planting, the most favourable season should 

 always be chosen. 



The most favourable season diiiers according to the character 

 of the locality. In temperate Europe summer should be 

 avoided, because at that time the plant is in full assimilating 

 activity and most sensitive to a change of conditions, espcially 

 to drought. There remains then the period from autumn to 

 spring. Planting may be done at any time throughout that 

 period, provided the weather be sufficiently favourable; at the 

 same time mid-winter is generally the least favourable part of 

 this period, as frost may be expected, so that practically the 

 choice lies between autumn and spring. Each of these two 

 seasons has its advantages and drawbacks, and the question, 

 whether the one or other is more favourable, has been 

 much debated. 



In the case of autumn planting any rootlets, which have 

 been injured during the operation, may have been replaced by 

 the ensuing spring, and the loosened earth settles down again 

 during winter. On the other hand, the plants are likely to 

 suffer from severe frost in their new home, or they may be 

 lifted by alternate frost and thaw, or loosened by the action of 



