46 



TRANSPLANTING. 



what established, and ready to commence its growth. Early autumn 

 planting is for this reason greatly to be preferred in all mild climates 

 and dry soils; and even for very hardy trees, as the apple, in colder lat- 

 itudes ; as the fixed position in the ground, which trees planted then get 

 by the autumnal and early spring rains, gives them an advantage at the 

 next season of growth over newly-moved trees. 



On the other hand, in northern portions of the Union, where the 

 winters commence early, and are severe, spring planting is greatly pre- 

 ferred. There autumn and winter are not mild enough to allow this 

 gradual process of healing and establishing the roots to go on ; for when 

 the ground is frozen to the depth of the roots of a tree, all that slow 

 growth and connection of nutriment by the roots is necessarily at an 

 end. And the more tender sorts of fruit-trees, the Peach and Apricot, 

 which are less hardy when newly planted than when their roots are en- 

 tire, and well fixed in the soil, are liable to injury in their branches by 

 the cold. The proper time, in such a climate, is as early as the ground 

 is in a fit condition in the spring. 



Early in autumn, and in spring before the buds expand, may as a 

 general rule be considered the best seasons for transplanting. It is 

 true that there are instances of excellent success in planting at all sea- 

 sons, except midsummer ; and there are many who, from having been 

 once or twice successful in transplanting when trees were nearly in leaf, 

 avow that to be the best season ; not taking into account that their suc- 

 cess was probably entirely owing to a fortunately damp state of the at- 

 mosphere at the time, and abundant rains after the experiment was per- 

 formed. In the Middle States we are frequently liable to a dry period 

 in early summer, directly following the season of removal, and if trans- 

 planting is deferred to a late period in spring, many of the trees will 

 perish from drought before their roots become established in the soil. 

 Spring planting should therefore always be performed as soon as possi- 

 ble, that the roots may have the great benefit of the early and abundant 

 rains of that season, and get well started before the heat of summer com- 

 mences. For the neighborhood of New York, therefore, the best periods 

 are from the fall of the leaf to the middle of November, in autumn, and 

 from the close of winter to the middle of April, in the spring ; though 

 commonly the seasons of removal are frequently extended a month be- 

 yond these limits. 



Taking up the trees is an important part of the operation. A trans- 

 planter should never forget that it is by the delicate and tender points 

 or extremities of the root that trees take up their food ; and that the 

 chance of complete success is lessened by every one of these points that 

 is bruised or destroyed. If we could remove trees with every fibre en- 

 tire, as we do a plant in a pot, they would scarcely show any sign of 

 their change of position. In most cases, especially in that of trees 

 taken from nurseries, this is, by the operation of removal, nearly impos- 

 sible. But although we may not hope to get every root entire, we may, 

 with proper care, preserve by far the larger portion of them, and more 

 particularly the small and delicate fibres. After being taken up, they 

 should be planted directly ; or, if this cannot be done, they should be 

 kept from drying by a covering of mats, and, when sent to a distance, by 

 being packed in damp moss.* 



* We should notice an important exception to this in the case of trees packed 



