64 



TRANSPLANTING. 



removed one or more times, to the spot where they are finally 

 to remain. For this reason, transplanting becomes a most 

 important operation. If a tree could be removed with all its 

 roots, including the numerous threadlike radicles, and all the 

 spongelets, and placed compactly in the soil, precisely as it 

 stood before, it would suffer no check in growth. The nearer 

 we can approach this condition, therefore, the greater will be 

 our success. 

 As a general rule, roots extend as far on each side of the 



Pig. 98. 



Fig. 99. Pig. 100. 



Modes of Digging Nursery Trees. 



Fig. ioi. 



tree as the height of the tree itself. If, for instance a tree be 

 five feet high, the roots will be found to extend five feet on 

 each side, or to form a circle ten feet in diameter. This rule 

 will not apply to slender trees, which have become tall by 

 close planting, but to those that are strong and well devel- 

 oped. The great length of the roots is often shown by trees 

 which send up many suckers, as the silver poplar and locust, 

 which may be seen to extend over a circle much greater in 

 diameter than the height of the tree. 



Many persons " wonder" why trees are so much checked in 

 growth by common transplanting, or why they so often die 

 from the operation. They would not be surprised, if they saw 



