TRANSPLANTING. 



249 



latter give in the end the greater satisfaction, 

 and the cost is ultimately smaller, for the num- 

 ber of failures is often fifty per cent less. The 

 value of frequent transplanting in the nursery 

 is in its preventing the formation of long, thick 

 roots extending so far from the stem that they 

 have to be cut off when 

 the plant is lifted, and 

 because it also pro- 

 motes the development 

 of an abundance of the 

 true feeding or fibrous 

 roots close to the stem, 

 which it is easy to 

 save and carry away 

 with the plant. For 

 the same reason the 

 following plan (if time permits) is a good one 

 to adopt when about to transplant trees of 

 large size that have long been undisturbed at 

 the root: — A winter or two before the tree 

 has to be moved a trench is dug all round it 

 at a suitable distance (dependent, of course, 



1 on its size) and as deep as the roots extend. 

 All the roots are cleanly severed with a knife, 

 and the trench is then filled again with the 

 same or, if necessary, better soil. A season 

 or two will allow of the formation of a great 

 number of fibrous roots, and the ultimate trans- 

 planting of the tree is rendered much safer. 

 In the case of old or particularly valuable speci- 

 mens it is sometimes advisable to adopt the 

 plan indicated by the accompanying diagram 

 (fig. 315), that is, if their removal is decided 

 upon a sufficient length of time beforehand. To 

 lessen the check, half the roots only are severed 

 one season, the other half the next. A circle 

 is drawn round the tree at the proper distance, 

 and it is divided into four quarters or sections. 

 In two opposite quarters — those represented in 

 the diagram by the shaded portions — the trench 

 is dug to the necessary depth and the roots 

 severed. The year afterwards the two remaining 

 quarters are treated similarly. 



When a tree or shrub has to be transplanted, 

 it will be necessary to remove it with or with- 



Fig. 316— Transplanting Carnage 



out a ball of soil. In the former case the 

 weight of plant and soil may be anything 

 between a few hundredweights and four or 

 five tons. The difficulty arises not so much 

 from its weight as its unwieldiness, and the 

 importance of preventing it from breaking. 

 Although the plan of carrying soil along with 

 the roots is more costly and troublesome, it is 

 much safer; and it is with a view to enabling 

 planters to adopt it for large specimens that 

 various transplanting machines have been de- 

 vised. It would be tedious and of little value 

 to attempt to describe the mechanism and 



Fig. 31".— Tourniquet. 



working of these implements. Two of them are 

 illustrated here, and their mode of working is 

 in each case easily understood from the draw- 

 ing. Fig. 316 represents a useful carriage for 

 transplanting trees and shrubs of moderate 

 weight. The ball after being reduced as much 

 as is desirable is tilted carefully on one side, the 

 bevelled end of the machine is then pushed 

 under as far as possible and the ball drawn on 

 to the centre by means of the pulley arrange- 

 ment shown. The wheels should be made broad, 

 and preferably higher than those shown in the 

 figure. The operation resolves itself into two 



