222 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



shock, it is severely felt, and shows itself in the slow 

 and feeble grrowth v.'hich follows removal. 



In jjardens and sheltered grounds this difficulty is 

 of less account; but how small a number of all the 

 trees planted enjoy the benefits of shelter! Scarcely 

 any one di-eams of nursing and hardening their trees 

 for a period previous to their final planting; and yet, 

 in a multitude of Ciu<^es, it would be a prudent and 

 profitable course — and so especially with all the more 

 rare, valuabk>, and delicate trees, shrubs, and plants. 

 Even in England, where the climate is much less rig- 

 orous and changeable than ours, such j)roceeding is 

 recommended and practiced. In a work which we 

 noticed some time ago, [Practical Hints on Orna- 

 viental Trees, by St andish & Xoble, page 479, vol. 

 iii.] it is reconnneuded, in planting valuable and del- 

 icate evergreen trees, to plant them first in some sort 

 of open boxes that would allow of their removal, 

 once or twice a year, from a more sheltered to a more 

 exposed place, until they would finally become suiTi- 

 ciently hardened to bear the exposure of their per- 

 manent situation. 



It is quite unnecessary to multiply illustrations 

 showing the advantages which young trees derive 

 from })eing reared in open situations, sufficiently ex- 

 posed to admit of the growth of side branches, and 

 acquire what we call hardiness. Our nursery trees 

 are in general too close in the rows; we gxow three 

 or four times too many on the ground. We are 

 aware that it would add considerably to the cost of 

 the trees, to give them so much more space; but 

 would it not be a saving for purchasers to pay one- 

 third or one-fourth more for them? We very much 

 fear that we shall have no very extensive reform on 

 this head until people become much better informed 

 on the subject of arboriculture — when, instead of 

 looking for the tallest trees in the nursery, they will 

 look for stout, well-rooted trees, that have been well 

 exposed to the sun and air,*and thus hardened and 

 fitted to encounter the trials of a removal. 



One reason why so few good i^yramidal-shaped 

 young trees are to be found in the nurseries, is their 

 closeness. Although they are cut back, no stout 

 side branches are produced, because of the want of a 

 full share of light around the lower part of the trees; 

 any shoots that do start out are soon smothered, and 

 the entire growth is thrown into two or three shoots 

 at the top. A good pyramidal tree cannot be pro- 

 duced — we cannot secure the first branches — without 

 a clear space of two or three feet on each side; 

 whereas, they usually stand within a few inches in the 

 nurseiT rows. 



Another advantage in giving trees abundant space, 

 to which we have already alluded, is, that it promotes 

 the extension of roots. In fact, whatever favors the 

 extension of branches, also favors the roots; beeau.>e, 

 they depend so much upon each other as to be co- 

 extensive. But the soil has a powerful influence on 

 the roots. Li si\i% clayey soils, trees have bare, forked 

 roots, ami few fibers; and that, too, when the growth 

 of the tree is good. Such trees do not transplant 

 well. Dry, friable soils are more favorable to the 

 growth of numerous fibrous roots, and trees taken 

 from them transplant more successfully. Culture has 

 a great influence on the roots, too. If the ground 

 be kept continually free and pliable by cultivation 



around the roots, they become much more fibrous and 

 better for transplanting than if the surface of tin. 

 ground be permitted to harden into a crust, or to In 

 covered with weeds or grass. 



Having the trees thus properly grown in abundant 

 space, dry, friable soils, and clean culture, the nc.t 

 important point is to take them up projjcrly; because'. 

 no matter how a tree is grown, if it 1)e badly taken 

 up it is not fit for successful transplanting. Trees arc 

 more universally injured — ruined — in this opcratinii 

 than in any other. We believe it is so in all parts nf 

 the world, for our trees imported from Europe nw 

 aV)Out as badly bruised and mangled as any we lune 

 ever seen at home. At the .seasons of transplant inii. 

 nurserymen are generally hurried, and have to cmph)\ 

 raw, untrained laborers, who know or care as much 

 about roots as they do about conic sections. A man 

 jnay stand over them, and show them, and talk to 

 them, and yet the roots will be cut and mangled. It 

 really requires considerable skill and experience, and 

 a great deal of care, to dig trees. Some have long 

 tap-roots that penetrate the ground deeply, while oth- 

 ers spread widely near the surface of the ground. — 

 These different characters require different modes of 

 proceeding. Some insist that it does a tree no harm 

 to cut off some of its roots; but we hold that the 

 roots should be taken out of the ground without the 

 slightest bruise or mutilation, if possible. The ne- 

 cessity for curtailing the tops would thus be obviated, 

 and there would be some hopes for the trees. Wc 

 are utterly opposed to the lopping off both roots 

 and branches of trees, and thus converting them into 

 bare poles before planting. The generally commended 

 proceeding of pruning or shortening the tops, is a 

 necessity only because the roots scarcely ever escape 

 injury in some way or other; and as leaves must re- 

 ceive a supply of nuti'iment through the roots, it i.- 

 ouly reasonable that when the roots are reduced, the 

 leaves should also be reduced in a corresponding ' 

 degTce. 



Then comes packing for transportation. The less 

 the roots of trees are exposed to the air, between the 

 time they are taken from the ground and the time 

 they are planted, the better. This should never be for 

 gotten. If roots be of any value, it can only be 

 when they are sound and fresh. More than nine- 

 tenths of all the trees planted have to be carried a 

 greater or less distance from the nursery, and conse- 

 quently require packing; and many people, to save a 

 little cost, will run the risk of having their trees ru- 

 ined. We are satisfied that vast quantities of trees 

 are lost from bad packing and exposure in transpor- 

 tation. It requires considerable skill and care to pack 

 well. Very few of the f]uropeau nurserymen can 

 pack for America, as importers well know ; and on 

 this account we are always compelled to purchase at 

 higher prices than we might do, in order to secure 

 good packing; for if we were to get trees for notli- 

 ing, they would be a hard bargain unless well packed, i 

 Good packing is equally essential in transporting 

 trees from one part of our own country to the other, 

 because we have great delays. We can get a pack- 

 age almost as soon from Liverpool to New York as . 

 we can from New York to Rochester; so that par-i 

 eels of trees should always be fitted up to go safely 

 twice the distance intended, or twice the time that 



