540 Pruning of Forest Trees, and 



equalisation of its conservative organs," as cases may frequently 

 occur, when time cannot be given for a preparation to be made 

 upon the conservative system, so as completely to insure the 

 end desired. If Mr. Elles intended to confine himself to trees 

 prepared for transplanting by trenching round them the year 

 before, and thereby provided with balls, I have no objection to 

 what he has observed upon the subject; but, as there appears 

 nothing in the article to convey such a meaning, I would make 

 the following observations. 



Above twenty years ago, I set about removing a purple-leafed 

 beech, of about twenty years' growth, to assist in embellishing a 

 lawn. I was fortunate in raising it with a good ball of earth, 

 and replanted it without divesting it of a single twig : the tree 

 evidently received a check, but afterwards grew well, and is now 

 in good health and vigorous. So far, then, I agree with Mr. 

 Elles. About four years ago I attempted to remove another 

 purple-leafed beech, of about the same age, but was less fortunate 

 in raising it with a ball; nevertheless the roots were tolerably 

 well preserved ; I replanted this, also, without pruning, in an 

 equally favourable situation, with all possible care, and watered 

 it occasionally, as I thought necessary : but it died. Query, 

 Had the branches of this tree been adjusted to the proportion 

 of its roots, would it have survived ? Again, some years ago, I 

 removed some very large laurels, some of which had two or 

 three large branches as thick as a man's thigh, and were from 

 14 ft. to 16 ft. high. These I pruned, or rather lopped, divest- 

 ing them of full one half of their branches and foliage. In the 

 first year I hardly knew whether some of them would grow or 

 not; but in the following year they began to thrive, and they 

 are now as luxuriant as possible. Query, Would these laurels 

 have lived, if none of the branches had been taken away? At 

 the same time I removed some large Portugal laurels and planted 

 them without either lopping or pruning, but they lingered and 

 died. Query, Would they have died, had the branches and 

 foliage been adjusted in proportion to the roots ? Farther, I 

 have frequently observed, in the transplantation of large decidu- 

 ous trees without pruning, that several of their branches have 

 died, and in some instances I have found that the whole of the 

 branches have died back to the trunk. Query, In either case, 

 would this have happened, had an adjustment of the branches 

 in proportion to the roots been effected ? Finally, three years 

 ago, I had occasion to remove two apple trees which I was 

 anxious to preserve ; and, accordingly, great care was taken in 

 their removal : they were both planted without pruning, and 

 both died. On the management of these trees, another query 

 may be added to those above. 



Now, Sir, these are queries which I should like to see answered 



