

THE GENESEE FAK3VEEK. 



^gnrtintltnrnl Stpartoiit. 



CONDUCTED BY P. BAKET. 



HEADING IN TREES AT THE TBIE OF TRANSPLANTING. 



Perhaps there is nothing connected with transplanting trees more important to the 

 success of the operation than pruning the tops, or, as it is usually termed, " headmg them 

 in " We are very sure, that notwithstanding all that has been written upon the subject 

 within a few years, thousands of trees annually die outright from the want of a judicious 

 prunino- when transplanted, and thousands of others grow so feebly that they too might 

 as welf have died. Some people are ignorant of the necessity of such an operation, 

 others are too busy when their trees are planted, and they have no time to do it. Others 

 ao-ain are aware that it has been recommended, but they are loth to spoil the trees by 

 deprivin<r them of their branches, or they are not much accustomed to handle the pruning 

 knife, and are afraid if they should attempt to prune they would do more harm than 

 good.' We have heard all these excuses made, and many more, time and again. 



If a tree could be removed from its place in the nursery to its permanent situation 

 with every root and fibre entire and uninjured either by digging, packing, carriage or 

 exposure, there would be comparatively little necessity for heading m because the 

 natural balance that existed between the roots and branches would not be destroyed ; 

 but how seldom is it that such trees are found in this state ! Rarely ever, as we know 

 by ample experience. The transplanting season is always a hurried one with 

 the nurseryman ; his customers are pressing him for the trees, the season is bounding 

 forward, the buds are swelling rapidly, or winter is threatening an embargo, and the 

 work must be done. Raw, untrained laborers, who know just as much about roots 

 or their importance as they do about Euclid, are turned in to dig and pull ; and 

 dio- and puU they do with a vengeance. The roots are cut and bruised and mangled 

 un°til they look as though they had been taken out with a grub hoe. This is not 

 always the case, we admit; there are careful nurserymen who take up their trees as 

 thouo-h they knew what trees were, and intended they should live and prosper but even 

 at best there are injuries inflicted that break up the nice harmony that existed between 

 the different parts of the tree, and for this a remedy must be applied. 



Now the theory on which the practice of heading in rests, is that the roots are the 



principal nourishers or feeding organs of the tree, and must be adequate to provide a 



sufficient supply for the buds or leaves, which are the consumers. If the roots be so 



injured as to be unable to fulfil their ordinary functi^Dus while the demand of buds and 



leaves continues the same, the tree will not only be unable to grow, but will in a very 



short time become exhausted and die. Hence the necessity of reducing the number ot 



buds or leaves, and thus cutting off a portion of the demand upon the roots. J^y tins 



heading in we economise the nutriment stored up within the tree, and it is then sufficient 



to sustain the process of vegetation until the tree has formed new roots to collect 



nourishment and is once more at home. It is sometimes objected to heading m at the 



time of transplanting, because the tree is not in a condition to throw up vigorous shoots 



that will make a new and handsome head ; and it is recommended to defer the heading 



in until the second year, when the tree is well rooted and will have sufficient force to 



make vicrorous and thrifty shoots. This would do very well we admit, and we prefer 



it whcH the tree has not a large head and the roots are all safe and sound ; but as 



general thin-, such a svstem would be like "locking the stable door after the hoi-se was 



stolen." The heading' in must always be proportioned to the condition of the roots 



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