THE FOREST NURSERY 107 



and branches in a tree a complete equilibrium of parts. 

 In removing a tree from where it is growing some of the 

 roots are unavoidably broken off and the natural balance 

 is destroyed, and increased demand is thus made upon 

 those which remain when the tree is again placed in the 

 ground. With broadleaf trees the balance can be somewhat 

 restored by cutting back the crown, but that cannot be done 

 with conifers intended for timber. No cutting back can take 

 place with these, except where a vagrant limb may have 

 started out in an effort to assume leadership. To cut back 

 the leader practically ruins the tree unless another one can 

 be encouraged, an effort by no means likely to be success- 

 ful. Therefore but little lessening of the demands upon the 

 remaining roots can be made, and the only thing that can 

 be done to aid the tree in its struggle for life is to save all 

 of the roots possible. 



The best way to accomplish this, when removing the 

 plants from the seed-beds and transplant nursery, is to dig 

 a trench eight, ten, or twelve inches deep the depth to 

 be governed by the depth the roots have penetrated 

 along a row of plants and a few inches from it. Then 

 thrust a spading-fork, with narrow tines spaced an inch 

 and one half apart, to the full depth of the trench and mid- 

 way between the row and the one next back of it, and 

 gently raise the plants out, carefully breaking the soil so 

 as to liberate the roots with as little injury as possible. 

 Seizing the plants by their tops and pulling them out 

 should not be tolerated ; but, instead, the ground should 

 be broken and carefully shaken from the roots. The re- 

 moval of one row gives opportunity to treat the one next 

 back of it in the same way. A little experience will demon- 

 strate the value of extreme care. 



Boot Pruning. It is not denied that pruning the roots 

 of seedlings or transplants may sometimes be advisable. 

 If they have tap-roots, or other roots are so long as to re- 

 quire considerable digging to place them in a natural posi- 

 tion, then cutting off the tap-root or the straggling one, 



