56 THE NURSERY AND THE ORCHARD. 



roots, and shortening-in the head to restore the balance 

 between root and top. As a part of the roots are neces- 

 sarily left in the ground when a tree is dug, the top must 

 be lessened in proportion. A one-year tree is usually 

 cut back to a naked stem from two to three feet high 

 (figs. 51 and 52). Older trees have about one-half the 

 length of their limbs pruned oflf, leaving them longest 

 at the bottom, and tapering up to the leader. This is 

 not very well represented in fig. 54. 



The tree is then placed in the hole a little deeper than 

 it stood in the nursery, with all its roots spread out to 

 their full extent, and the soil well worked among them 

 with the hand. The dirt must be pressed down around 

 the tree firmly, so that it will be held in its position, and 

 no roots left in an open space to die from want 

 of moisture. Bank the dirt up around the tree a little 

 higher than the surrounding surface. It will sink down 

 to a level. In transplanting, it is well to immerse the 

 roots in soft mud, and they must not be exposed to the 

 sun very long. When trees are shipped long distances, 

 they are sometimes^ injured by freezing or drying. 

 Frozen trees are not much injured if buried in the 

 ground till they thaw ; if shriveled from want of moist- 

 ure, they are usually restored by keeping them buried 

 in the ground several days, top and all. 



Always select young, well rooted trees. One year from 

 the bud or graft is usually the best age. When large 

 trees are taken up, they receive a severe check from 

 which they sometimes fail to recover. 



