TRANSPLANTING SEEDLINGS. 33 



all our native deciduous trees, but by beginning when 

 they are young, and subjecting them to root-pruning as 

 directed, and repeating the transplanting every three or 

 four years, large masses of fine fibrous roots will be formed 

 near the main stem, that will insure their successful re- 

 moval, even when the trees are fifteen or twenty years old. 



Every time a tree is lifted from the earth in which it 

 is growing, the ends of the fibers or larger roots are 

 broken off, or at least disturbed to an extent that pre- 

 vents their further elongation when again placed in 

 contact with the soil, but fibers push from the sides, and 

 thus the number of roots is increased within the radius 

 occupied by the longest, or those extending farthest 

 from the main stem. It is by this transplanting and 

 shortening of the leading roots that the arboriculturists 

 are enabled to produce a mass of close compact fibrous 

 roots that are easily preserved when removals are neces- 

 sary or advisable, and the life of the plant is not en- 

 dangered by the operation. For the reasons given, 

 nursery-grown trees, or those raised under artificial con- 

 ditions, are much better for planting than those that 

 come up naturally in forests, but the latter can be sub- 

 jected to the same preparatory operations and made val- 

 uable, if it is commenced while they are young, or of 

 moderate size. The treatment, however, to which forest 

 seedlings should be subjected must vary somewhat ac- 

 cording to the kind of tree, as well as the character of 

 the roots, the latter often differing greatly in different 

 soils. For instance, seedling trees found growing in low, 

 moist soils, seldom have very long central or tap-roots, 

 while on all dry uplands, the contrary is the case, as I 

 observed on a preceding page. 



If the seedlings when taken from their natural habitats 

 have an abundance of small, fibrous roots, they may be 

 treated in the same manner as those from nurseries, the 

 tops being pruned to give the plants the proper form. 



