PLANTING TKEES 239 



"But you took the bagging off," said Mary. 



"Yes, but I took it off in a cool place and not ex- 

 posed, and I sprinkled the roots with water, and I 

 put the wet hay over them again ; besides, I am 

 ready to plant." 



"Now I show you what we do first " ; and he sat 

 down and took out his pruning-knife, took up one of 

 the trees, and looked over the roots carefully. "I 

 wish to see what those fellows who dug them what 

 they have done to them," he said, looking over his 

 glasses at his two assistants. " Ha ! there is a broken 

 root." 



"What do you cut it for? " asked Mary's neighbor. 



"It is broken it has to heal ; we must always have 

 a clean cut. Did I not show you when we budded 

 the apple-trees that we must not haggle ? It is a clean, 

 straight cut that heals well. Sometimes when a larger 

 root has been broken we cover the cut with tar, just 

 as we put wax over the cut end when we grafted. 

 See, I cut the root an inch above the break. Now 

 we are ready." 



"Why does the wind hurt the roots?" asked 

 Mary. 



"Perhaps it is that it dries up the moisture very 

 quickly. If the roots liked the air, they would go 



