420 



and saw myself the wliole process, I can, with some confidence, state 

 my opinion to you, and tlie other menihors of the committee. It appears 

 clear to me, that Sir Henry Steuart is the first person in this kingdom, 

 who has adopted and practised, for years past, a rational system to 

 insure success, in tliis hitherto difficult oj)eration. The system appears 

 to be, to disturb the processes of nature in the growth of the tree as 

 little as possil)le, and when disturbed, to provide an efficacious remedy. 

 It will naturally occur to the members of tlie committee, that it would 

 be quite impossible to move the widely-extended roots of a twenty or 

 thirty year old tree, tvithout rupturing many, however carefully the 

 earth were moved away; besides, the labour of following out long 

 shoots would be immense. Add to this, that the nourishment drawn is 

 almost entirely from the fine fibrous roots. Hence, the first operation 

 is to cut off, at a due distance, the long horizontal roots, supply fresh 

 mould, and allow, by waiting two or three years, the tree to form all 

 around those fine fibrous roots, that are to nourish it in its new situa- 

 tion. This, and the actual removal, is all that the tree suffers in being 

 moved to a new situation ; and on this simple system, he seems the first, 

 who has succeeded in any extraordinary degree. 



" There are many very important considerations to be attended to, 

 before that success can be secured, which have escaped others, who 

 have attempted to transplant trees. One of the leading points is the 

 choice of the tree. A tree taken from the interior of a plantation will 

 not succeed, nor one of which the branches and spray, as well as the 

 bark and stem, are not all properly prcjxircd and in dve proportion. 



" Not less im})ortant is the care, with which the tree, and all its 

 newly formed fibrous roots must be lifted ; and again, these roots re- 

 placed in the new situation, as naturally as they were found, before the 

 tree was removed. I decline entering into a detail on these important 

 points, because Sir Henry Stcuart, will, no doubt, favour the Society 

 with a full and comprehensive narrative of his practice. I must, how- 

 ever, observe, that, although the detail would occupy many pages, yet 

 when the operation is performed by his experienced workmen, it appears 

 to a by-stander perfectly simple, and easy to bo repeated. 



" I beg on one subject to call the attention of the committee in a more 

 particular manner, because it has been greatly misrepresented ; and, un- 

 less the public be imdeceived, the useful and ornamental practice of 

 transplanting large trees never will become general. I allude to the 

 expense. For the present, 1 set aside the consideration of the planting 

 large portions of ground with young trees, to produce shelter or pic- 



