SEED PLANTING 89 



mental trees and shrubs is during the fall, winter 

 and early spring, which is their dormant or resting 

 season, as this gives the injured roots a chance to 

 recover and start new rootlets before the foliage of 

 the plant makes demands on them for food and 

 moisture. 



In taking up large plants many roots are broken 

 or crushed. These broken and injured roots should 

 be trimmed off with a smooth cut. The tree or 

 shrub is then placed in the hole prepared for it 

 and the soil carefully filled in and packed about the 

 roots. After the plant is set, the top should be 

 trimmed back to correspond with the loss of root. 

 If the plant is not trimmed, more shoots and leaves 

 will start into growth than the damaged roots can 

 properly furnish with food and water, and the plant 

 will make a weak growth or die. 



There are on the market a number of hand trans- 

 planting machines which, from their lack of perfec- 

 tion, have not come into general use. Many of them 

 require more time to operate than is consumed in 

 hand planting. A number of large machines for 

 transplanting are in successful and satisfactory use 

 on large truck and tobacco farms. These machines 

 are drawn by horses and carry water for watering 

 each plant as it is set. 



Practice transplanting in window boxes or in the 

 open soil and see how many of your plants will sur- 

 vive the operation. 



