evki;<;i;kkn ikkks. ;?5 



■were trees which had sto(xl so loiio- without previous removal that 

 a hirge percentaiie of k)ss should have ])een expected, yet it has 

 been an aiireeal)le surprise to nie to liud uiuch less loss than 1 liave 

 ever iiad Avith sucli trees in ]May. Nor is this all. The orowth 

 of the following summer has uniformly been better than with trees 

 planted in ]May. Pines, spruces, and other varieties stretch away 

 as if they liad not been stirred. In Auoust. IHSi), T planted a 

 hundred Norway Spruces, which Avere al)0ut eight feet high, in 

 a hedge-row and not one of them failed. At the same time I 

 removed over three hundred Picea pioiyens and P.seudotsuga which 

 were from two to four feet high and lost only one, and this 

 one was evidently in feeble health when taken. Last August I 

 transplanted about fifteen hundred Picea pnngens and other kinds 

 and they were as usual, without a single exception, so fresh looking 

 in Xovember, that I invited our Garden Connnittee to inspect 

 them, with the purpose of showing the new roots, but the early 

 freeze prevented the visit. I am confident that next summer's 

 growth will show much more vigor than could possil)ly be expected 

 if the trees had been planted in May. And I will allow any 

 failures to stand in the lot until the first of August next, so that, 

 any one who desires can see what liability to winter-killing there- 

 may be. I do not anticipate any. Let it be distinctly understood, 

 tliat this is August and not fall planting — not later than Septem- 

 ber l.j — which I recommend. 



But I hear it said that all this applies to removals for short 

 distances and with special care and favorable weather. As to 

 weather I have tried all sorts, from excessive wet to excessive dry, 

 with uniform success, though a medium is of course the best.. As 

 to special care, this should always be given, — no more in August 

 than in May. And in regard to distance, it is to be said that it i&. 

 difficult to send large sizes long distances, at any season. They 

 are liable to heat when packed in boxes and also to become 

 exhausted by evaporation during the time required for transit and 

 before the roots can become re-established. Hence it is always 

 best to procure conifers of local gTowth, where this can be done, 

 especially if they are to be of some size. Undoubtedly early 

 spring is the best time for importing this stock from Europe, the 

 lial)ility of heating being less at this season. Care should be 

 taken, however, not to plant until the ground becomes warm. But 

 I have sent sizeable trees as far as Mount Desert, and varioua, 



