ON THE CULTIVATION OF TREES. 321 



utmost precaution, the earth being carefully worked in by 

 the hand and the aid of a small rammer : additional earth 

 is then gradually sifted in, and gently kneaded down, till 

 it forms a layer, in which the second tier of roots is ex- 

 tended in the same manner as the lower tier, and so on 

 till the whole are covered with earth. This attention to 

 incorporate each fibre of the roots with the soil not only 

 answers the purpose of inducing the roots to re-com- 

 mence their function of absorbing sap, but also serves to 

 fix and secure them firmly in the soil, and renders stakes, 

 ropes, and other means of adventitious support unneces- 

 sary. 



Caroline. And by your account this does not appear 

 to be a very expensive process. 



Mrs. B. No ; independently of the engine, which is 

 very simple, it is estimated that trees from twenty-six to 

 thirty-five feet high, may be moved half a mile, at the ex- 

 pense of from ten to thirteen shillings. But the experi- 

 ments have always been made with healthy trees, whose 

 roots and branches have had ample space for growth ; not 

 tall emaciated plants torn from the interior of forests, with 

 stinted roots and branches, and so little vigor of vegeta- 

 tion, that their bark would not be either of sufficient thick- 

 ness or hardness, to shelter the stem from the rude blast, 

 nor the roots of sufficient strength or extent, to fix it firm- 

 ly in the soil. Sir Henry Stewart, therefore, particularly 

 recommends transplanting trees which have been freely 

 exposed to the advantages of light and air ; and should 

 they, by such exposure, have suffered in their growth orv 

 the weather side, he advises, in transplanting them, to 

 reverse the aspect, in order to shelter the weak side of 

 the tree, and expose the luxuriant one to the severity of 

 the wind. 



Emily. By this means, then, large trees may be trans- 

 planted without either cutting the roots or lopping the 

 branches ? 



Mrs. B. By adopting all the precautions I have men- 

 tioned, it appears that scarcely a tree failed. Sir Henry 

 is, no doubt, perfectly correct in not cutting, even the 

 little tassels of rootlets which grow at the extremities of 



1731. Is this an expensive mode of transplanting-'? 1732. How 

 great is the expensed 1733. With what description of trees have 

 these experiments always been madel 1734. What recommendation 

 does Sir Henry Stewart give in relation to the transplanting of treesl 



