460 TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES. 



year (1850). The annual extensions in the three years after removal 

 were thus in the following instances : — 



"What was very important, with reference to the fiaal issue of this 

 experiment, was the state of the roots, after three years' removal, and 

 an excessively dry autumn. I can state that their condition was in 

 every respect satisfactory. I myself saw fine fibrous roots, three feet 

 long, taken from the Sycamore No. 16, thirty-seven feet high, when 

 transplanted, whose shoots lengthened two inches the first year, two 

 inches the second, and three inches the third. This tree was trans- 

 planted December 29th, 1847 ; it was taken from a very low, damp, 

 dense shrubbery, surrounded by tall trees, and was transplanted to the 

 most high and exposed part of the new park ; apparently for fourteen 

 years the tree had had two leaders ; one of these rival leaders was out 

 off in March, 1849. This tree was also affected by the wind more than 

 any other, by reason of its heavy head, as compared with the stem. It 

 was, therefore, a good one to be subjected to a root examination, as no 

 tree had to contend with such a number of unfavourable circumstances, 

 or appeared to be doing worse. The roots, however, were found, on 

 examination, to be an entire mass, similar to what I have described, in 

 a hole of eleven feet diameter. 



Under ordinary circumstances, the roots must necessarily be 

 injured more or less by removal ; in that case, all the larger 

 wounds should be cut to a clean smooth face; not in long 

 ragged slivers, which is only substituting one kind of mutilation 

 for another, but at an angle of about 45°, or less. If the ends 

 of small roots are bruised, they generally die back a little way, 

 and then emit fresh spongioles ; but the larger roots, when 

 bruised, lose the vitality of their broken extremity, their ragged 

 tissue remains open to the uncontrolled introduction of water, 

 decays in consequence of being in contact with an excess of 



