USED IN TBANSPLANTING. 457 



cutting back their main roots one year before they are to be 

 transplanted; if this very simple operation is properly per- 

 formed, all the principal Umbs, so amputated, wiU emit young 

 fibres in abundance from their extremities, and the gardener, 

 from knowing where to find those roots, can easily take them 

 up without material injury. 



A better method is to describe in August a circle round a 

 tree at three or four feet from its trunk; outside that circle to 

 cut a very narrow trench, with a draining spade, or some 

 similar instrument, two to three feet deep ; and to fill in the 

 trench with leaf-mould or some rich loose material, among which 

 fibres will readily form. If this is done at the time when trees 

 are making their second growth so large a quantity of fibrous 

 roots will have been formed by October as to render it possible 

 to transplant trees thus prepared without risk of losing them. 



In order to effect the same end, but in another way, the 

 following expedient has been occasionally employed for large 

 trees. A deep trench has been opened, in mid-winter, round 

 a stem, at such a distance as to be clear of the principal fibres; 

 the tree has then been carefully undermined, tiU, at last, the 

 earth belonging to it has formed a huge ball ; upon the approach 

 of frost, water has been freely poured over the ball so that its 

 whole surface may be converted into an icy mass ; in that state 

 it has been raised by powerful tackle, and conveyed without 

 disturbance to its intended site. This operation is unobjection- 

 able for hardy trees of great size, but is expensive, and only 

 capable of application in a limited degree ; its success is entirely 

 owing to the young and tender fibres being placed in such a 

 position that they cannot be injured by the act of transport. 



Althougt it is a principle with vegetable physiologists that a tree 

 of any age, or dimensions, maybe safely transplanted, provided its roots 

 can be preserved, and mechanical means be found for lifting a mass so 

 ponderous as a forest-tree with the earth in which its roots are embedded, 

 yet the difficulties- attendant upon carrying out the principle are such as 

 to deter most persons from trying the experiment. That there really is 

 no difficulty in the matter, except such as skiU and adequate means can 

 wholly overcome, is sufficiently proved by the extent to which the trans- 

 plantation of large trees has been carried at Elvaston Castle. But people 

 evidently thiak that Lord Harrington's success is an exceptional case ; 



