234 PRINCIPLES OF PLANT CULTURE 



tion, until the roots are lifted on the fulcrum side, when 

 soil is placed under as before. This process is repeated 

 until the tree has been lifted to the desired height. If 

 the tree is to be lowered, earth is removed at each tilt. 



404. Sacking the earth-inclosed roots is practiced in 

 lifting and removing orange trees in California and 

 may be profitably employed with other evergreens. A 

 rather deep trench is dug at one side of the tree, and 

 from this trench, the deeper roots are severed. The 

 top earth is then removed down to the first lateral roots, 

 when all the remaining large roots are severed at some 

 distance from the trunk. The tree is next tilted to one 

 side and a piece of burlap or matting is drawn beneath 

 it, after which the matting is folded about the earth 

 cylinder and well tied. 



405. Removing the plant. — Plants with their roots 

 out of the soil should be carefully protected from mechan- 

 ical injury, from drying and from freezing. To insure 

 such protection, plants to be transported any considerable 

 distance should be packed. 



Plants packed for transportation should be inclosed 

 throughout, and the roots should be in close contact 

 with some moist material, preferably bog moss. Straw is 

 often used for this purpose and answers well for packing 

 about the trunks and branches of trees, but it is inferior 

 to moss for inclosing roots, as it is more liable to heat and 

 does not so well retain moisture. 



Herbaceous plants, such as the strawberry, cabbage, 

 sweet potato and the like, may be packed in layers 

 separated with moss, as follows : Over the bottom of the 

 box, the width of which is about twice as long as the plants 

 to be packed, and which has slatted sides, place a thin 

 layer of damp (not wet) moss, and over this, place a layer 



