REMOVAL OF LARGE TREES 141 



flowering shrubs as Spircea, Philadelphus, Kerria, Ribes, 

 &c., can be safely moved without much trouble, as 

 they make a mass of roots which will hold a good 

 ball of soil unless it is very dry. All are practically 

 certain to live if carefully planted and well watered 

 afterwards. 



There are several ways of moving large trees, the 

 simplest and quickest being by a proper transplant- 

 ing machine, which consists of a framework on 

 wheels fitted with a system of rollers and levers. 

 For moderately-sized trees, say, to about 12 feet 

 high, a two-wheeled machine is sufficient. This is 

 moved by eight or ten men. For trees above 12 

 feet high a four-wheeled machine is required, with 

 two, or perhaps three, horses to draw it. The first 

 will take a ball of soil weighing from two to three 

 tons, the latter anything to ten tons, or even more. 



In preparing the tree for the small machine the 

 ball is made round, and slightly smaller than the 

 width of the machine, a trench being cut round the 

 tree to a depth of 3 feet or so, the actual depth 

 depending on the roots, but the soil should be re- 

 moved a foot lower than the lowest roots. On no 

 account undermine the ball until the proper depth 

 has been reached. A proper machine-pick is the best 

 thing to use under the ball, carefully working out 

 sufficient soil to introduce a board 6 inches wide and 

 about I J inches thick on each side of the ball. The 

 soil immediately under the centre of the ball should 

 be left intact. When the boards are in position 

 ropes are passed under them on each side and led 



