102 FOREST PLANTING. 



the most important of the details in connection with the 

 work. !JTo large tree that has stood a few or more years 

 in one position undisturbed should be transplanted with- 

 out being prepared some time beforehand by operating on 

 its roots. The growth of trees should be checked skill- 

 fully by a system of root-pruning. The customary way of 

 doing this is to dig a trench around the tree, at such a dis- 

 tance from the stem as may appear desirable or neces- 

 sary to secure a requisite breadth of roots all around to 

 support the tree when it is finally transplanted. The 

 trench is dug deeply enough to get to the nethermost 

 roots. Usually all the roots are cut away, and the trench 

 is again filled in with good rich soil. This is commonly 

 done twelve months before the transplanting is to take 

 place, and the objects are to administer a check to the 

 tree and induce a free production of fibrous roots. 



No doubt these objects are, in 1 he main, successfully at- 

 tained in most cases, but in such a way as to minimise 

 the chances of success when the final operation of removal 

 is performed twelve months hence. It is no uncommon 

 thing to find the entire circle of soft fibrous roots that 

 may have been formed during the intervening growing 

 season fall away when the trench is again opened for the 

 purpose of removal. If this occurs, and it is hardly pos- 

 possible to prevent it more or less, the tree is then more 

 seriously crippled than it (vould have been had it been 

 lifted at the time of preparation. A much better method 

 is to open a trench twelve months beforehand, a con- 

 siderable distance from the trunk, to such a depth as will 

 reach the lowest roots, and work gradually in towards 

 the center in a regular way all round, laying bare every 

 root, preserving the smaller and fibrous roots, and cut- 

 ting away the stronger ones until within a foot or two of 

 the stem, when the trench should be filled in, laying the 

 preserved roots out carefully, and covering them with 

 good fresh soil. When treated in this way, a greater 



