232 PRINCIPLES OF PLANT CULTURE 



at a moist season of the year. The roots will then have 

 time to slowly callus over their wounds and to form new 

 rootlets, and thus be prepared for active growth in spring. 

 But in countries of severe winters, where the roots are 

 largely frozen in the soil for two or three months, and in 

 countries in which the autumn is generally dry, spring is, 

 as a rule, the more favorable season for transplanting. 



Trees that have been long exposed to cold, drying 

 winds and have thus suffered depletion of water from 

 their buds and branches, are better not lifted until the 

 buds begin to swell. This is especially true of evergreen 

 trees in severe climates. Being always in leaf they 

 require more careful treatment than deciduous trees. 



We shall consider transplanting under three divisions, 

 viz., (a) lifting the plant ; (6) removing the plant ; and 

 (c) replanting the plant. 



402. Lifting the plant. The object to be obtained 

 in this operation should be to remove the roots from the 

 soil with the least possible damage consistent with reason- 

 able economy of time and labor. Plants in low vigor 

 should receive especial care in this respect. Very young 

 plants, such as tobacco, cabbage, lettuce and the like, 

 grown thickly in the seed-bed, are often pulled from the 

 soil with the hands. In this case, the soil of the bed should 

 first be saturated with water, in order that the roots 

 may be broken as little as possible, and may come up 

 with more or less adhering soil. It is generally prefer- 

 able to grow such plants in drills rather than broad- 

 cast. This enables them to be drawn from the soil with 

 less damage to their roots. 



Trees and shrubs sufficiently grown for their final 

 planting out should be more carefully handled. If it is 

 necessary to cut off the main roots, the farther from the 



