148 WOOD AND GARDEN 



Allanton (Sir Henry Steuart's place) in September 

 1828, when the trees had been some years planted. 

 They found them growing " with vigour and luxuriance, 

 and in the most exposed situations making shoots of 

 eighteen inches. . . . From the facts which they wit- 

 nessed the committee reported it as their unanimous 

 opinion that the art of transplantation, as practised by 

 Sir Henry Steuart, is calculated to accelerate in an 

 extraordinary degree the power of raising wood, whether 

 for beauty or shelter." 



The reviewer then quotes the method of trans- 

 plantation, describing the extreme care with which 

 the roots are preserved, men with picks carefully 

 trying round the ground beneath the outer circum- 

 ference of the branches for the most outlying rootlets, 

 and then gradually approaching the bole. The greatest 

 care was taken not to injure any root or fibre, these 

 as they were released from the earth being tied up, 

 and finally the transplanting machine, consisting of a 

 strong pole mounted on high wheels, was brought close 

 to the trunk and attached to it, and the tree when 

 lowered, carefully transported to its new home. Every 

 layer of roots was then replanted with the utmost care, 

 with dehcate fingering and just sufficient ramming, 

 and in the end the tree stood without any artificial 

 support whatever, and in positions exposed to the 

 fiercest gales. 



The average size of tree dealt with seems to have 

 had a trunk about a foot in diameter, but some were 



