344 TREES. 



poplars and willows, have enough of this power to enable pieces of 

 them to grow, when stuck into the ground, like walking sticks, 

 without roots, it does not follow that all other trees will do the 

 same. There are some animals which swallow prussic acid with 

 impunity ; but it is a dangerous experiment for all other animals. 

 What we mean to suggest, therefore, is, that he who would be a 

 successful transplanter, must have an almost religious respect for the 

 roots of trees. He must look upon them as the collectors of rev- 

 enue, the wardens of the ports, the great viaducts of all solids and 

 fluids that enter into the system of growth and verdure, which con- 

 stitute the tree proper. Oh, if one could only teach hewers of 

 " tap-roots" and drawers of " laterals," the value of the whole system 

 of roots, every thing, in short, that looks like, and is, a radicle, 

 then would nine tenths of the difficulty of transplanting be quite 

 overcome, and the branches might be left pretty much to them- 

 selves ! 



Now a tree, to be perfectly transplanted, ought to be taken up 

 with its whole system of roots entire. Thus removed and carefully 

 replanted, at the proper dormant season, it need not suffer a loss of 

 the smallest bough, and it would scarcely feel its removal. Such 

 things are done every year, with this result, by really clever and ex- 

 perienced g?u deners. We have seen apple-trees, large enough to 

 bear a couple of bushels of fruit, which were removed a dozen miles, 

 in the autumn, and made a luxuriant growth, and bore a fine crop 

 the next season. But the workman who handled them had gone 

 to the root of the business he undertook. 



The fact, however, cannot be denied, that in common practice 

 there are very few such perfect workmen. Trees (especially in the 

 nurseries) are often taken up in haste, at a loss of a third, or even 

 sometimes half of their roots, and when received by the transplanter, 

 there is nothing to be done but to make tfie best of it. 



In order to do this, we must look a little in advance, in order to 

 understand the philosophy of growth. In a few words, then, it 

 may be assumed that in a healthy tree, there is an exact " balance 

 of power " between the roots and the branches. The first may be 

 said to. represent the stomach, and the second the lungs and per- 

 spiratory system. The first collects food for the tree; the other 



