34 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sizes, from two to six feet in height. As I desired to convert the 

 land on wliieli they stood into an ice pond, I decided to remove the 

 trees dnring tlie month of August, to a lot a1»out half a mile 

 distant. It was a large experiment, but I reasoned that the 

 conifers make their growth by the first of July, and the rest of 

 the season is spent in maturing the wood, so far as the tops are 

 concerned. But the roots on the contrary are in a condition for 

 active growth throughout the season, and especially so if placed in 

 a new and mellow soil. The ground is warm in August, and when 

 newly stirred is friable and in excellent condition to encourage 

 quick root action. As the year's growth of wood is fairly well 

 matured by the 'tenth of the month, the tax from evaporation is 

 only moderate and this is met b}' the night dews and the moisture 

 which usually occurs with the dog-days. Upon theory then the 

 trees should easily sustain the shock of transplanting and speedily 

 commence the formation of roots, which should have a firm hold 

 in the soil before the ground freezes. The August and subsequent 

 fall of my ex})eriment proved to be exce})tionally liot and dry ; indeed 

 so severe was the heat and drought that our late President, Joseph 

 Breck, predicted a total failure. I hesitate to mention the facts 

 as a precedent, yet it is true that in the face of a broiling August 

 and early September sun, for week after Aveek the trees were 

 transferred, without the aid of any water or mulch to assist them. 

 In November following, I had the pleasure of taking up several 

 of the trees and showing to ]Mr. Breck the very abundant forma- 

 tion of new roots. The warm, fioury condition of the soil was 

 conducive to this growth. A wet fall would not have been as 

 favorable. But the new lot was on a northern, exposed slope and 

 the prophecy was that the Avinds of the following winter would 

 ruin the trees. Any one who had seen the new roots would know 

 that there was little danger of this result. The following summer 

 showed as fine a field of newly planted trees as I have ever seen, 

 with less than five per cent of loss, as I now recollect. The 

 success w^as so complete, on so large a scale, and under what would 

 be considered adverse circumstances, that I have ever since con- 

 sidered the question as settled. It has l)een my custom in subse- 

 quent years both to transplant myself, in August, and also to sell 

 trees, as ordered, and the results so far as I know have been 

 uniformly satisfactory. Indeed, I have removed at this season 

 trees of larger size than I should care to take in ]\Iav. And these 



