wUh entire Balls of Roots. 249 



planting of large trees — some contending for the general utility 

 of the practice, others denying it as being little less than chi- 

 merical, unless here and there in particular cases. In the 

 late edition of Downing's Laridscape Gardening, in treating 

 of this subject, he seems to doubt its practicability, generally, 

 in the climate of the United States. This opinion from such 

 an authority will, unquestionably, tend greatly to dissuade 

 from the attempt many who were otherwise disposed to try. 

 Yet, with all deference to the opinion of the writer of that 

 admirable work, I beg decidedly to differ from him in this 

 instance ; and the reason I give for this, perhaps seemingly 

 presumption, is, that I have recently had extensive practical 

 evidence that trees from 40 to 50 feet high may be trans- 

 planted with perfect facility, and grow as readily as those 

 from 15 to 20. This assertion may seem to some rather in- 

 credible, but I will proceed briefly to detail the process and 

 its results. My employer being anxious to plant trees of a 

 large size near his residence, resolved, upon a perusal of 

 "Stewart's Planter^ s Guide,''^ to try the plan there recom- 

 mended ; accordingly, a " machine" was procured and the 

 work commenced. Not, however, altogether in the manner 

 described by Stewart, for, as the operations were conducted 

 principally in winter, the "balls" were all in a frozen state. 



Previous to the commencement of winter, the trees intended 

 to be removed were dug around, below all roots, (at a dis- 

 tance from the trunk proportioned to the size of the tree,) 

 cleared from leaves, grass, &c., and left exposed to the action 

 of the frost. When thoroughly frozen, the " machine" — 

 which is simply a pair of strong wheels and axle, with a 

 stout pole attached — is then backed close to the trunk of the 

 tree ; the pole is next raised to and firmly fastened to the 

 stem, and by means of blocks and tackle attached to a ring, 

 near the extremity of the pole, the tree is drawn down to a 

 horizontal position ; a third wheel, constructed on the princi- 

 ple of a castor, is inserted into a socket near the end of the 

 pole, which prevents, to a great extent, the branches from 

 rubbing on the ground. The third wheel is deemed unne- 

 cessary by the author of the Planter'' s Guide, and no doubt 

 is, in the system he describes ; but in removing trees with 

 frozen balls we have found it almost indispensable. Oxen 



VOL. XII. — NO. VII. 32 



