101< Transplanting of large Trees. 



brought forward and placed in its respective pit, the earth was 

 well broken and firmly beaten down all round the ball. It may 

 be worthy of notice, that I have my pits made wider at the bottom 

 than at the mouth, and that the mouth of the pit is not much 

 larger than the diameter of the ball to be inserted. Large trees 

 put into pits made after this fashion require no props. It is 

 possible, that in strong clay land during a gale of wind, accom- 

 panied with much rain, a tree now and then may be driven a 

 little to one side, but this seldom happens if the work has been 

 properly executed. 



In the winter and spring of 1837, I had upwards of 80 large 

 oak trees prepared, and I find that, although I had hotter and 

 drier summers to deal with, still the size of the balls given in 

 the preceding table is quite capable of affording the necessary 

 protection to the roots within for a number of years : at the 

 same time I consider it would be an advantage if the diameter 

 of the balls were increased by from 4 to 6 inches, and such a 

 ball I consider large enough for any tree about to be removed 

 by the preparing process. In short, if the extending roots are 

 to be severed at a greater distance than 3 ft. from the plant 

 all round, transplanting may as well commence at once. 



Of the above quantity which I had prepared in 1837, in the 

 course of the two following seasons I removed about 60 to a 

 distance of from two to three miles, and although not one of 

 them may be said to have died, still my success has been but 

 indifferent. Many have, in a great measure, lost their tops, but 

 are beginning to throw out young spray all along some of the 

 principal branches and the stem. My failure, however, will be 

 easily accounted for by practical men, when I mention what 1 

 believe to be the chief causes. First, the greater portion of my 

 trees were planted after they had undergone preparation for one 

 year only, and I think for trees upwards of 50 years of age, few, 

 conversant with the subject, will dispute the necessity of such 

 subjects being at least three years under the process. Secondly, 

 having no other resource, I was compelled to take my trees from 

 a sheltered place to an open field where the soil, if any thing, 

 was more sterile than that in which they had been grown, while 

 its surface is the most exposed and bleak of any spot in the 

 county of Forfar. Thirdly, I used no compost or manure in 

 planting : and last, though not least, I omitted, in planting, to 

 place my trees in the same position with regard to aspect as that 

 in which they were grown ; at least, the chances are that this 

 was the case. 



The planting of large trees in a reversed position, I believe to 

 be more detrimental than many would at first suppose. All 

 practical men are aware of the fact, that, when felling timber 

 trees, the pith, or heart, is seldom found exactly in the centre, 



