THE ART OF TRANSPLANTING TREES. 



November, 1848. 



WE must have a little familiar conversation, this month, on the 

 subject of TRANSPLANTING TREES. Our remarks will be in- 

 tended, of course, for the uninitiated ; not for those who have grown 

 wise with experience. 



That there is a difficulty in transplanting trees, the multitude 

 of complaints and inquiries which beset us, most abundantly 

 prove. That it is, on the other hand, a very easy and simple pro- 

 cess, the uniform success of skilful cultivators, as fully establishes. 



The difficulty then, lies, of course, in a want of knowledge, on 

 the part of the unsuccessful practitioner. This want of knowledge 

 may be stated, broadly, under two heads, viz., ignorance of the 

 organization of trees, and ignorance of the necessity of feeding 

 them. 



The first point is directly the most important, for the very pro- 

 cess of transplanting is founded upon it. Since this art virtually 

 consists in removing, by violence, a tree from one spot to another, 

 it is absolutely necessary to know how much violence we may use 

 without defeating the ends in view. A common soldier will, with 

 his sword, cut off a man's limb, in such a manner that he takes his 

 life away with it. A skilful surgeon, will do the same thing, in or-, 

 der to preserve life. There are, also, manifestly two ways of trans- 

 planting trees. 



That the vital principle is a wonderful and mysterious power, 

 even in plants, cannot be denied. But because certain trees, as 



