34 THE CULTIVATED EVERGREENS 



sected out from between the roots back to the size of the ball. 

 These roots are bent around against the ball of earth if they 

 are flexible enough to bend. If not sufficiently flexible and 

 tractable, they are cut off. 



"A canvas is made fifteen to twenty-four inches deep, and is 

 made smaller at the bottom by folding over a V and sewing it. 

 This makes it fit a conical ball and, when it is pulled up three 

 inches by the cross-lashing at the top, makes it tighter. The 

 canvas has cross-ropes sewed on it with rings at the top and 

 bottom, and on the deeper balls two rows of rings in the middle. 

 The bottom rope is tightened by a wooden lever twenty inches 

 long with four holes, the rope being looped through the holes 

 and the lever thrown over to pull the rope tight. The top rope 

 is then tied and tightened by cross-lashing. 



"To get the ball free from the subsoil, dig under all around 

 and tip the tree slightly. Level off the bottom with a fork. If 

 there are tap-roots, tunnel under and cut them with a saw. 

 Put a platform as far under as possible and tip the tree back. 

 To get the ball in the center of the platform, put a hammock 

 around the ball and pull. Hold the platform in position by 

 crowbars driven in front of it. Lash the ball to the platform, 

 make an incline, drag the platform out of the hole onto a truck 

 or sled. Skids with small wheels set in them about one foot 

 apart enable a team to load a ball quickly. With balls ten to 

 fifteen feet in diameter and twenty inches deep, jacks and pipe 

 rollers are needed. 



"Trees over ten feet need to be tipped over to go under wires. 

 If the canvas is put on tight and at the proper taper, and if 

 the ball is cut flat to fit close to the platform and lashed tight 

 to the platform, the tipping can be done without the ball 

 shaking loose. Sometimes a canvas or burlap bottom can be 

 put between the platform and the ball. In unloading, the tree 



