invented by James Kidd. 253 



Portugal and common laurels, and have found that, by its as- 

 sistance, the same number of hands can with ease perform twice 

 as much work as they could possibly accomplish in the ordinary 

 way. You may form some conception of its powers from the 

 fact, that by its means four men can lift the plants as fast as three 

 can make pits and plant them again. Another advantage attend- 

 ing the use of this machine is, that it does not in the slightest 

 degree injure the roots ; an advantage that cannot fail to be ap- 

 preciated by every practical man, who has been accustomed to 

 the old system of pulling the plant from side to side, in order to 

 loosen it sufficiently in the hole, thereby unavoidably breaking 

 and cracking the roots. By means of this machine, also, the 

 ball of earth is in most instances preserved entire, as by its 

 strong lever power the whole mass can be raised at once. In 

 using it, the plant is prepared for lifting in the ordinary way, by 

 tying up the branches, and digging round the ball at a distance 

 sufficient for the preservation of the roots ; the chief difficulty I 

 at first experienced in the use of it was in getting it introduced 

 below the ball. The first method I tried for the accomplishment 

 )f this object was, to drive it in with two wooden mallets, two 

 men standing one on each side for the purpose of using them ; 

 but I afterwards found that I could more easily insert it by means 

 of two levers held in a sloping direction, close to the axle, and 

 which were pushed forward as the pole was wrought gently up 

 and down. Before proceeding to work, however, the wheels 

 must be taken off, in order that the machine may be placed in 

 as horizontal a position as possible, and by doing so a twofold 

 advantage will be gained ; the prongs can be inserted deep into 

 the earth, and greater additional lever power will be obtained. 

 After the machine is properly placed under the ball, the pole 

 must be lifted up high enough to admit a square piece of wood 

 or other hard substance to be placed immediately below the junc- 

 tion of the pole and the axle, to act as a fulcrum or heel for the 

 pressure of the lever ; and, when the pole is pressed down, the 

 plant is immediately raised and the axle elevated to a sufficient 

 height to allow the wheels to be again put on. It is almost un- 

 necessary to mention that the sides of the hole should be sloped 

 down, in order that the plant may the more easily be drawn 

 out. A mat or piece of canvass tied round the ball below the 

 prongs will be useful in keeping the ball together; and after the 

 plant has been fairly placed upon the machine, no difficulty will 

 be found in conveying it to any distance. 



This machine, although I have as yet only used it for the 

 purposes above specified, I have no doubt will be found 

 equally applicable to other horticultural purposes ; for example, 

 fruit trees, whose sickly appearance and deficiency of crops in- 

 dicate that they have been by mistake too deeply planted, may 



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