Season for transplanting Evergreens. 561 



Art. IV. On the proper Season for transplanting Evergreens. 

 By Mr. T. Rutger. 



I AM induced to send you a few remarks upon the transplant- 

 ing of evergreens, principally to elicit from others what may be 

 advanced more decidedly upon philosophical principles than any 

 thing which has yet come under my notice, as to the season of the 

 year at which the operation may be attended with the greatest 

 degree of success. Mr. Pratt (Vol. II. p.l35.) recommends July 

 and August; and Mr. M'Nab, in his H.ints on the Planting and 

 general Treatment of hardy Evergreens in the Climate of Scotland, 

 says, " experience has taught him that evei'greens of all kinds may 

 be planted at all seasons of the year with nearly equal success, 

 except from the middle of June to the middle of August." {Gard. 

 Mag., vol. vii. p. 78.) Now, although there is a total disagree- 

 ment between the latter clause of Mr. M'Nab's statement, and 

 the experience of Mr. Pratt, yet 1 have no doubt but that both 

 of them may be justified in what they have written upon the 

 subject ; and which is, no doubt, in accordance with their ex- 

 perience, grounded upon the success,, or otherwise, which each 

 of them has had in the matter now at issue. Giving each his 

 meed of credit, it follows that evergreens may be transplanted 

 at any season of the year, whenever it may be convenient : and 

 this I believe to be the real fact; that is, under peculiar treatment, 

 according to the season when the operation is to be performed, 

 and particularly where the plants are to be removed only to 

 a short distance, and are taken up with balls of earth, and re- 

 deposited carefully. I think, however, that it still remains to be 

 proved whether there is, or is not, some particular season of the 

 year in which they may be removed with greater safety than at 

 any other period ; and more especially when brought from the 

 nurseries to perhaps a considerable distance, without balls, and 

 where less care has been bestowed in taking them up than would 

 be given by a gardener, were they only to be transferred from 

 one part of the shrubbery to another. 



Proceeding in this enquiry, it may be necessary to consider 

 the great difference there is between a deciduous tree or shrub 

 and an evergreen. From the former, I conceive that compara- 

 tively little evaporation takes place during the time it is disrobed 

 of its foliage ; whereas the latter, by retaining its foliage during 

 the winter, and consequently its Superficies, has evaporation going 

 on during the whole year to a considerable extent; which must, 

 I think, according to the generally received theory, be supplied 

 by moisture from the spongioles of the roots. Now, when any 

 tree or shrub is transplanted without a ball, it will, I imagine, be 

 universally allowed, that the roots are always more or less para- 

 lysed ; and that it is not until they begin to throw out fresh 



