88 STATE BOARD OP HORTICULTURE. 



Transplanting the Trees from the Nursery to the 

 Orchard. This important work often determines the future 

 growth and fruitage of the orchard. Its performance in all its 

 details should be conducted in a manner to give as little shock 

 to the growth of the tree as possible. Mr. L. C. Waite, of 

 Riverside, has had great success in transplanting trees in their 

 natural state; that is, removing the tree without balling, 

 leaving the roots free from soil. He attaches great importance 

 to two conditions: first, selecting the proper time for removal; 

 and second, the manner of handling. The time for removing 

 the tree is when it has made a previous growth and has 

 hardened that growth and balanced it by a later root growth. 

 In this condition it is ready to put out a new branch growth. 

 Before this appears the fine roots are cut on one side of the 

 tree by the use of a sharp spade. At the same time the tap- 

 root is cut at the proper depth below the surface. The excava- 

 tion is then filled with earth, and the tree allowed to remain 

 for several days until the rootlets and the taproot have formed 

 a crown of growth. By leaving the rootlets of a considerable 

 portion of the tree undisturbed by the first handling this growth 

 is rapid. When the growth is sufficiently developed the tree 

 can then be removed from the nursery to the orchard by the 

 second handling. This is to cut the remaining roots, being 

 careful to leave unbroken the roots cut at the previous hand- 

 ling. When this tree is placed in orchard form the earlier cut 

 roots are ready to start new growth immediately. The shock 

 to the tree by its last necessary mutilation is hardly felt. Every 

 care must be taken in carrying the tree from the nursery to the 

 orchard to keep the tender and sensitive rootlets from drying. 



*"If orange trees are properly handled from the time they 

 are dug in the nursery until they are planted in orchard form, 

 there should be no loss. We have found in our experience in 

 planting, that if this plan is properly followed we do not lose 

 any trees, but if orange tree roots are exposed to sunshine or 

 wind, for a short time only, the planter will lose a large per- 

 centage of his trees; besides, those which grow will have such a 

 sickly growth that he would be better off if they had died with 

 the others. We know that it is possible to pack trees so that 



*B. F. Dixon, in essay before Escondido Farmers' Institute, November, 

 1896. 



