Transplanting of large Trees. 105 



as most people imagine, but is found deviating from the central 

 position, and approximating to that side of the stem facing the 

 south, or, at least, to that side from which the tree has received 

 the greatest amount of warmth and shelter; while, on the con- 

 trary, the greater part of the woody fibre has been deposited 

 between the pith, or heart, and that point from which the greatest 

 degree of cold proceeds. Doubtless this enlargement of the 

 fibre towards the coldest aspect is a provision of nature's to 

 guard against the severity of climate, and therefore requires to 

 be attended to if we would transplant successfully. 



But to return to preparation. I have still from 20 to 30 

 that have not been moved, and which have stood since the winter 

 of 1837 with the trenches round the balls open; these I intend 

 to plant out in the course of 184-2, some in April, and some in 

 June, when in full leaf. At present, I consider them in the proper 

 condition for removing. They seemingly have received all the 

 benefits that preparing is calculated to bestow. Every season 

 since they underwent the operation they have put forth leaves at 

 the usual period ; but it was only last summer that they seemed 

 to have recovered, and began to throw out young twigs all over 

 the surface of the bark, and thereby exhibited signs of active 

 vitality. 



As it may interest some of your readers, I may as well notice 

 that the expense of removing the five trees at Brechin Castle 

 amounted to 17s. lid. in all, or about 5s. 7d. per tree. To this 

 I may add, that the soil was light loam and easily worked ; the 

 road was also good. Those which I transplanted in 1838 and 

 1839 were carried a distance of from two to three miles, and 

 cost about 12s. a tree; this sum, great as I consider it, would 

 have been still greater if I had not occupied two machines, both 

 of which we loaded in the evening, the horses started in the 

 morning with one of the trees, and as soon as they returned with 

 the empty carriage it was loaded, while the other carriage was 

 on its way, so that no time was lost. 



I shall now, in conclusion, for the use of such as may ever 

 remove large trees, state a few observations connected with the 

 subject, which they may keep in view. Equality of soil should, 

 if possible, be studied. If a tree is moved from a dry soil to one 

 that is rather moist, success is almost certain ; but it is seldom 

 that a tree taken from a damp soil will succeed on one that is 

 dry. I have had experience of this again and again. Three 

 years ago I removed a large horsechestnut from dry rocky 

 ground into a strong, cold, clay soil, four miles off. Last sum- 

 mer it flowered, and appears never to have felt any effects from 

 its change. I carried back upon the carriage an oak containing 

 14 ft. cubic of timber, and planted it in the field from which the 

 chestnut was taken ; but even with copious watering I could not 



