TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES. 



553 



thirty feet in height, the trunk of which has a circumference 

 of three feet at a height of three feet from the ground, 

 its total weight with the earth-ball being nearly two tons. 

 The operation is commenced by staking out, round the 

 stem, the circumference of the earth-ball, which will be on 

 an average about four 

 feet in diameter for 

 most species, and 

 larger according to the 

 size of the trees to be 

 removed. A second 

 concentric circle is 

 then made about two 

 feet outside the first, 

 the space between 

 which will be the 

 place for the trench 

 to be dug for pre- 

 paring the tree. 

 The soil is then re- 

 moved from this 

 trench to the depth of 

 three feet, and the 

 small and delicate 

 roots are drawn out of 

 the earth, left hang- 

 ing, and carefully pre- 

 served. The earth- 

 ball is then under- 

 mined to prevent the 

 roots from adhering to 

 the subsoil ; two thick 

 planks, a foot wide, 

 and a little longer 

 than the ball, are placed underneath parallel with the 

 width of the cart, so that they sustain the weight of the 

 earth when the tree is lifted. Privet stems are now placed 

 vertically, close together, all round the earth-ball, tied at 

 the top and bottom with' ropes, so as to prevent the earth 







