PKOPKRTIES OF GOOD TRANSPLANTS. 137 



more or less in possessing chiefly a tap-root with only a few root- 

 fibres and root-hairs. Again, in the case of teak, the expression 

 in question must he taken to mean simply the main tap-root wi h 

 a few spare rootlets and root-fibres, whereas in other cases it m;iy 

 mean a dense mass of rootlets and root-fibres with a relatively 

 small tap-root ; and between these extremes there will be many 

 intermediate forms. But considering any one species by itself, the 

 more numerous the root-hairs and root-fibres which bear them are, 

 the more vigorous will the plant be. The number of the root- 

 hairs even if they are not produced uniformly every where, and the 

 abundance of the little lumps of earth organically attached to them 

 and which prove their activity, are the main points to look to. 



(iii) A HEALTHY CROWN. For any given species a healthy crown 

 is indicated by proportionately numerous vigorous leaves of the 

 proper shade of green, numerous and full buds, and a more of less 

 symmetrical crown of a depth equal in most cases to at least half 

 the height of the seedling. In all the woody portions the liber 

 a ^.d cortical parenchyma should be relatively thick, vigorous, full of 

 sap and of a healthy green, and covered over with as little suber 

 as possible. A thick suberous layer on thin or young parts is 

 generally a sign of languishing growth, and a disproportionate 

 thickness of it is usually the first step to the seedling becoming 

 hide-bound. 



Seedlings possessing the characters just described are such as 

 develop from good seed in a loose soil full of nourishment, with 

 free room to develop on every side, and with no adverse circum- 

 stance of any kind to produce any check in their growth. It is 

 evident that in addition to the above qualities, which may be 

 termed the qualities of the normal plant belonging to any species 

 in question, the seedlings should also be such as may be planted 

 with ease and with the least possible risk of injury to their differ- 

 ent parts or to th?ir general vitality. Hence the smaller the 

 compass of the entire mass of their root-apparatus is, the higher 

 will be the quality of the planting material, as it can then be ex- 

 tracted from the nursery and put out into the forest with greater 

 ease and with less liability to injury. But this character w r ill ob- 

 viously be subject to modification by the circumstances under 

 which the transplanting has to be done. 



In judging of a given lot of planting material the amount of 

 care exercised in examining it quality, and the degree of strictness 

 with which the presence of all the preceding characters is exacted, 

 must necessarily vary with the character of the species, some spe- 



