14 ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CIRCULAR 51 



ball in the opposite direction and pull the burlap under the other 

 half. Pull the burlap up around the ball and tie the diagonal 

 corners at the top. Wrap loose folds of burlap tightly around 

 the ball and pin the burlap in place with sixpenny or eightpenny 

 balling nails. 



Balls of soil are heavy and difficult to move. A ball of soil 



15 inches in diameter and 15 inches deep may weigh 200 pounds 

 or more, and one 24 inches in diameter and 18 inches deep will 

 weigh over 400 pounds. A tree with a small ball of soil can be 

 lifted out of the hole with two spades inserted under the ball 

 from opposite sides, or by placing a piece of burlap under the 

 ball and lifting while grasping the four corners of the burlap. 

 Balls of soil weighing several hundred pounds must be handled 

 carefully to avoid injury to the roots. They should be prepared 

 and moved by arborists, nurserymen, or other persons familiar 

 with the procedures of digging, burlapping, rope lacing, and 

 moving such large balls. 



Transporting the Tree 



One or several small trees obtained from a nursery or wild 

 stand are frequently transported by car or truck. Trees ordered 

 from distant nurseries are usually sent by freight and shipped 

 by train or truck. Large trees, especially those with soil balls 

 weighing several hundred pounds, are transported by special 

 types of trailers or automotive equipment. This specialized 

 equipment is used by nurserymen, aborists, and other commercial 

 operators engaged in moving large trees. 



Protecting the Roots 



The roots should never be allow^ed to dry from the time the 

 tree is dug until it is planted in the new location. Prolonged 

 exposure to air will cause the roots to dry out and die. Roots can 

 be protected by packing them in moist straw, sphagnum, peat 

 moss, sawdust, shingle tow, or other suitable material and then 

 wrapping with burlap. 



If your trees are delivered without balls of soil, plant them 

 immediately or heel them in to prevent drying of the roots. 

 Heeling-in consists of digging a trench wide and deep enough 

 to accommodate the roots without crowding. A place with well- 

 drained, sandy, or sandy-loam soil, and where the trees are 

 protected from the sun and wind, is desirable. It is generally best 

 to have the trench running east and west, and to place the trees 



