Chap. X.] TBEES FOR CITIES. 163 



with a little good soil, whicli will allow the top of the earth-ball to he a little 

 higher than the surrounding ground, in accordance with an instinctive notion, 

 which almost invariably induces us to place trees used as isolated specimens in 

 lawns on small hillocks. 



" When this is done the planks or ways are placed in position as befoi'e described, 

 and the cart is very carefully drawn on them until the earth-ball is exactly in 

 the centre of the hole. The tree is then slowly lowered, and when it touches the 

 ground the guy-ropes from the corners of the cart are pulled tight, so as to have 

 the tree perfectly upright and steady ; the chains are unfastened and hoisted 

 up round rollers ; the two planks beneath the earth-ball are undermined and 

 removed, and the privet-shoots taken off. They then proceed to fill up the hole, 

 particular attention being paid to the small roots, which are each separately 

 covered in. "When this is finished and the tree is considered suflSciently steady, 

 the ropes are removed ; the bars are taken out of the back of the cart, which 

 is drawn away, and the bars having been refixed all is ready for another 

 removal. 



" An abundant watering, if the removal has been made in the growing-season, 

 will be the end of the operation. The tree must now be protected against the 

 wind, being as yet merely dependent upon its own gravity, as the roots take time 

 to get hold of the ground. This result is obtained by placing at about half-way 

 up the stem of the tree a padding of straw, round which three or four long pieces 

 of wire-rope are attached ; these are carried out on all sides of the tree and firmly 

 fastened to strong stakes driven in the ground. We may then bid defiance to the 

 strongest winds that blow. 



" If droTight is to be feared, the stem and main branches of the tree can be 

 surrounded with plaited straw watered from time to time, or by a coating of clay 

 mixed with cow-dimg and covered with rough canvas, which is much about the 

 same colour as the bark. Sometimes in the boulevards of Paris they water trees 

 surrounded in this manner by pouring water through a funnel from the top, 

 between the clay and the trunk of the tree. These auxiliary means for keeping 

 the tree alive may he supplemented by many others, such as covering it entirely 

 on the south side with canvas, to preserve it from the sun and drought if it is 

 of a rare kind ; by watering the ground well if it is dry, or by draining the hole 

 with rubbish or drain-pipes if the soil be too damp, etc. 



" The ordinary season for transplanting large deciduous trees is from October 

 to April and from March or April to August for evergreens. But with sufficieTit 

 care it is quit« possible to transplant trees all the year round, provided the 

 weather be suitable, the roots uninjured, the soil good, and that they be kept 

 well sheltered and watered. . ^ , j , 



"In choosing the tree to be transplanted, its age and species must be duly 

 considered For instance, it is useless to remove a tree that is sixty or eighty 

 vears of age, as it will never produce as fine foliage as it did before its removal, 

 nor will it make any remarkable progress in size. It is better only to remove 

 those not move than fifteen years old ?md under without any earth-ball at all, 

 takin. especial care to preserve all theroots intact. The best age for trans- 

 plnttag Lger trees is from twenty to thirty years. The number of species 



