PLANTING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS 59 



all be of the same age, for some trees make a much 

 more rapid growth the first two or three years of 

 life than others. Some of the evergreen cone-bearing 

 trees grow slowly at first and then can not well endure 

 the full light of the sun. It would be well that 

 these should be a little older when transplanted than 

 the others. 



In considering how the transplanting is to be done 

 we must remember that a tree is a thing of life, that 

 it cannot be removed from its place of growth and 

 set in another place without interfering, for a time, 

 with the regular operation of its vital forces. For 

 this reason the transplanting should be done at a 

 season when the vital forces are least active, and 

 care should be taken to avoid as much as possible 

 all injury to the roots of the tree both in taking it up 

 and in resetting it. The time between the two opera- 

 tions should be as short as possible and during the 

 interval the roots should be entirely protected 

 from both sun and wind by covering them with 

 damp moss or dipping them in a thin mud made by 

 mixing rich soil and water, and then wrapping them 

 with a coarse damp cloth or canvas. If the removal 

 and resetting can be done on a cloudy day so much 

 the better. Not even the fine fibrous rootlets should 

 be allowed to become dry. It would be well if the 

 hole could be prepared in advance for the reception 

 of the tree. Let it be broad enough to receive the 

 roots without any bending or cramping. It may 



