Planting Trees. 265 



acquainted with the business. A man should hold the tree with one hand, 

 and with the other straighten out the roots, placing them in the true and 

 natural position, or in such a position as will induce them to grow readily. 

 Then let another person, with a shovel, scatter into the hole the best of 

 soil ; the man who is holding the tree, all the time working the same in 

 among the roots with his hand, making sure that every crevice is well filled, 

 and occasionally putting in his foot to press down the earth when the hole 

 is nearly full, and, when quite full, giving the soil a good treading-dowu 

 about the tree to hold it in its proper position. 



Tree-planting should never be attempted unless the soil is dry enough 

 to be easily sifted in among the roots. A good rule would be, that, when 

 the soil is dry enough to be planted with field-crops, it would do to plant 

 trees. If quite large trees are to be set out, more care should be exercised 

 than with small ones in arranging the roots, filling in the earth, and press- 

 ing down the soil about the roots. 



A better way by far, when very large trees are to be transplanted, is to 

 do it in winter with balls of frozen earth about them. Large trees so trans- 

 planted will hardly find out the change, but continue to grow, and, if fruit- 

 trees, even bear fruit the same year they are moved ; but this should not 

 be allowed to any considerable extent. 



In order to perform this operation successfully, the tree to be moved 

 should be dug about on the approach of freezing nights ; digging as far 

 from the tree as desirable, according to the size of the same, and letting 

 the earth freeze firmly, and at last digging completely under, so that all the 

 roots will be severed, and the ball of earth frozen hard. 



The place to which the tree is to be moved having been kept covered 

 up with old hay, seaweed, or something else, to prevent the ground from 

 freezing, a hole may be dug sufficiently large to admit the ball with a little 

 space round it. Such trees can be transported from place to place by 

 loading them on a stone drag or " float," and dragging them to the place 

 where they are to be set : if there is a light fall of snow, they will slip 

 along all the better. 



Place the tree in the hole at the proper depth ; and fill up the spaces 

 between the frozen ball and the sides of the hole, treading it down as firmly 

 as possible. Then it will be necessary to support the tree in its place 



