48 



TRANSPLANTING. 



The whole art of transplanting, after this, consists in placing the 

 roots as they were before, or in the most favorable position for growth. 

 Begin by filling the hole with prepared soil, within as many inches of 

 the top as will allow the tree to stand exactly as deep as it previously 

 stood. With the spade, shape the soil for the roots in the form of a 

 little hillock on which to place the roots — and not, as is commonly 

 done, in the form of a hollow ; the roots will then extend in their natu- 

 ral position, not being forced to turn up at the ends. Next examine 

 the roots, and cut off all wounded parts, paring the wound smooth, 

 cutting from the under side. Hold the tree upright on its little mound 

 in the hole of prepared soil ; extend the roots, and cover them care- 

 fully with the remaining pulverized soil. As much of the success of 

 transplanting depends on bringing the soil in contact with every fibre, 

 so as to leave no hollows to cause the decay of the roots, not only must 

 this be secured by patiently filling in all cavities among the roots, but, 

 when the trees are not quite small, it is customary to pour in a pail of 

 water when the roots are nearly all covered with soil. This carries the 

 liquid mould to every hidden part. After the water has settled away, 

 fill up the hole, and avoid the common practice of shaking it up and 

 down by the stem. In windy situations it will be necessary to place a 

 stake by the side of each tree, to hold it upright, until it shall have taken 

 firm root in the soil, but it is not needful in ordinary cases. 



Avoid deep planting. More than half the losses in orchard plant- 

 ing in America arises from this cause, and the equally common one of 

 crowding the earth too tightly about the roots. No tree should be 

 placed deeper than it formerly grew, as its roots are stifled from the 

 want of air, or starved by the poverty of the soil at the depth where 

 they are placed. It is much the better and more natural process in fact 

 to plant the tree so that it shall, when the whole is complete, appear 

 just as deep as before, but standing on a little mound two or three 

 inches higher than the level of the ground about. This, when the 

 mound settles, will leave it nearly on the level with the previous sur- 

 face. 



Mulching is an excellent practice with transplanted trees, and more 

 especially for those which are removed late in the spring. Mulching is 

 nothing more than covering the ground about the stems with coarse 

 straw, or litter from the barn-yard, which by preventing evaporation 

 keeps the soil from becoming dry, and maintains it in that moist and 

 equable condition of temperature most favorable to the growth of 

 young roots. Very many trees, in a dry season, fail at midsummer, 

 after having made a fine start, from the parched and variable condition 

 of the earth about the roots. Watering frequently fails to save such 

 trees, but mulching when they are planted will entirely obviate the 

 necessity of watering in dry seasons, and promote growth under any cir- 

 cumstances. Indeed watering upon the surface, as commonly performed, 

 is a most injurious practice, as the roots, stimulated at one period of the 

 day by water, are only rendered more susceptible to the action of the 

 hot sun at another, and the surface of the ground becomes so hard by 

 repeated watering that the beneficial access of the air is almost cut off. 

 If trees are well watered in the holes, while transplanting is going on, 

 they will rarely need it again, and we may say never, if they are well 

 mulched directly after planting. 



The best manure to be used in preparing the soil for transplanting 



