42 TRANSPLANTING. 



fall of the leaf. The tree is then in a completely dormant state. 

 Transplanted at this early season, whatever wounds may have 

 been made in the roots commence healing at once, as a deposit di- 

 rectly takes place of granulous matter from the wound, and when 

 the spring arrives the tree is already somewhat established, and 

 ready to commence its growth. Autumn planting is for this 

 reason greatly to be preferred in all mild climates, and dry soils; 

 and even for very hardy trees, as the apple, in colder latitudes; 

 as the fixed position in the ground, which trees planted then get 

 by the autumnal and early spring rains, gives them an advan- 

 tage, at the next season of growth, over newly moved trees. 



On the other hand, in northern portions of the Union, where 

 the winters commence early, and are severe, spring planting is 

 greatly preferred. There, autumn and winter are not mild 

 enough to allow this gradual process of healing and establishing 

 the roots to go on ; for when the ground is frozen to the depth of 

 the roots of a tree, all that slow growth and connection of nutri- 

 ment by the roots is necessarily at an end. And the more 

 tender sorts of fruit trees, the Peach and Apricot, which are less 

 hardy when newly planted than when their roots are entire, and 

 well fixed in the soil, are liable to injury in their branches by 

 the cold. The proper time, in such a climate, is as early as the 

 ground is in a fit condition in the spring. 



Early in autumn, and in spring before the buds expand, may 

 as a general rule be considered the best seasons for transplant- 

 ing. It is true that there are instances of excellent success in 

 planting at all seasons, except midsummer ; and there are many 

 who, from having been once or twice successful in transplanting 

 w'hen trees were nearly in leaf, avow that to be the best season ; 

 not taking into account, that their success was probably entirely 

 owing to a fortunately damp state of the atmosphere at the time, 

 and abundant rains after the experiment was performed. In the 

 middle states, we are frequently liable to a dry period in early 

 summer, directly following the season of removal, and if trans- 

 planting is deferred to a late period in spring, many of the trees 

 will perish from drought, before their roots become established 

 in the soil. Spring planting should, therefore, always be per- 

 formed as soon as possible, that the roots may have the great 

 benefit of the early and abundant rains of that season, and get 

 well started before the heat of summer commences. For the 

 neighbourhood of New- York, therefore, the best periods are, from 

 the fall of the leaf, to the middle of November, in autumn, and 

 from the close of winter, to the middle of April, in the spring ; 

 though commonly, the seasons of removal are frequently extended 

 a month beyond these limits. 



Taking up the trees is an important part of the operation. A 

 transplanter should never forget that it is by the delicate and 

 tender points or extremities of the root that trees take up their 



