PLANTING. 



3S3 



found necessary to preserve tlie tree in a per- 

 pendicular position during its transport on the 

 machine to its future place of growth. The 

 perpendicular position of the tree is, however, 

 greatly secured by the four side or guard chains. 

 We have novr to describe the mode of introduc- 

 ing the stem of the tree within the machine. 

 This is effected in the following manner : the 

 machine is drawn as near to the tree as circum- 

 stances will allow ; it is then taken to pieces by 

 uuscrewiug the diiferent bolts, — that is, the main 

 horizontal beams are unfastened and thrown 

 over the wheels on either side. The larger hind- 

 wheels are then placed in their proper position 

 on the sloped cutting behind the tree, and the 

 smaller fore-wheels on that before the tree ; the 

 large beams are then lifted on to their places, 

 one on either side of the tree, and made secure 

 with the iron bolts and the requisite fastenings. 

 The tree then stands with its stem betwixt the 

 side-beams, and with a pair of wheels behind 

 and another before. The chains and jacks are 

 then applied as already described, and thus the 

 process is complete. The next and only other 

 point deserving further allusion, is that of plant- 

 ing or placing the tree where it is ultimately to 

 grow, and this is effected in the following way : 

 The hole, sufficiently large to receive the ball of 

 earth, is dug the necessary depth ; then, on the 

 opposite sides of the hole, a sloped cutting, 

 wide enough to admit the machine to be drawn 

 down and through it, is also provided. Into this 

 cutting, therefore, the machine and tree are 

 drawn, and through it the team of horses first 

 pass. When the tree has reached the proper 

 point, the machine is permitted to rest. Props 

 of brick or stones are then raised at the four 

 corners immediately under the ends of the cross- 

 planks. These props may be three or four 

 bricks in height ; and when all is prepared in 

 this way, the jacks are reversed, and the ball of 

 earth gradually lowered down, till the ends of 

 the cross-planks rest upon the corner props, and 

 the tree has taken its proper perpendicular posi- 

 tion ; and this is effected by raising or lowering 

 of these corner props. All being adjusted, any 

 opening that may remain betwixt the bottom of 

 the ball of earth and the bottom of the hole 

 provided for the tree is filled up with earth^ 

 the whole being made firm around and under 

 the roots of the tree. The brick or stone props 

 are then struck out, and the planks removed — a 

 process easily effected, as the tree now rests 

 upon the earth which has been placed under and 

 about it. These planks are, however, well ironed 

 at each end, that, in case of any difficulty in 

 removal, a horse or horses may be readily yoked, 

 and the planks withdrawn." The whole of this 

 routine differs little from that followed by Mr 

 Barron, excepting in one particular, which we 

 think a very important one, namely, setting the 

 newly-removed tree in a pit, instead of planting 

 it on, or nearly on, the surface, as practised by 

 Mr Barron. In good deep soils we would ad- 

 mit of an excavation to the depth of 18 inches 

 being formed, on which the tree, if of large size, 

 is to be set, and the earth gathered up around 

 it in form of a flat-topped mound. The operation 

 of supporting the tree after planting would be 



by this considerably facilitated, and the roots 

 would be placed in an equally favourable con- 

 dition. 



M. Vallet's tree-lifting machine. — However ex- 

 cellent both these machines may be, there is 

 little doubt that both must be regarded more as 

 improvements upon the machine invented by M. 

 Vallet, a French nurseryman in the time of Louis 

 XIV., than as original inventions. M. Vallet'a 

 was invented to facilitate the taking out and in 

 the immense orange-trees in tubs, for which the 

 French gardens are and were celebrated. It 

 consisted of a four-wheeled machine, without an 

 axle to connect the two hinder wheels, which 

 was left out to allow the machine to be pushed 

 back, so that the orange-tub could be enclosed 

 between the framework forming the sides. When 

 the tree was so placed, a strong bar of timber 

 was secured to the two ends of the beams which 

 formed the sides of the carriage, and answered 

 the end of a portable axle. On the top of four 

 strong upright posts, one at nearly each corner 

 of the machine, was placed two rollers, the 

 dowels at their ends working in iron sockets 

 fixed in the upright posts, the hindermost of 

 which was made so as to be taken out and put 

 in conveniently ; over these rollers a cable-rope 

 was wound, so that by unwinding them the two 

 cables fell towards the ground, and was made 

 to pass under the bottom of the orange-tub, and 

 when re-wound again by a man at each corner 

 working a short lever, the tub was elevated 

 to any height required to clear it of the ground, 

 while being removed to the allotted place. The 

 bar of timber connecting the hinder part of the 

 sides of the machine, as well as the hinder roller^ 

 being removed, the machine was drawn forward, 

 leaving the tree in the position allotted to it. 

 With a similar machine we have removed hun- 

 dreds of large trees, by introducing a platform 

 of strong planking under their balls, and pass- 

 ing two cable-ropes under it, as here described ; 

 and with another with two wheels, very similarly 

 constructed, we have moved many of great size 

 and weight. 



The most powerful and perfect of all such 

 machines, is, however, undoubtedly that invent- 

 ed and patented by Mr M'Glashan, who has 

 favoured us with the following description and 

 drawings of it, figs. 146, 146. 



" The first part of Mr M'Glashan's process is 

 to lay down a square frame of T u-on a, in size 

 equal to that of the ball to be removed. He 

 then takes cutters b, made of malleable iron, and 

 1 foot broad, and 3 feet deep, or with head and 

 neck 44 feet, and with holes at different heights 

 for apin, which regulates their depth to be screwed 

 in, so that they can be made,at very little trouble, 

 to lift any depth of ball from 1 to 3 feet. These 

 cutters are driven with wooden mallets into the 

 soil to the depth required all round, and being in- 

 serted sloping inwards, they give to the enclosed 

 mass the form of a square blunted wedge. A 

 bar of angular iron c is then laid along the top 

 of the four rows of cutters, and extension-rods 

 d, going across the frame, force the heads of the 

 cutters apart as far as necessary, and conse- 

 quently cause the points to converge at- the 

 bottom. Two parallel beams e are then laid 



