PLANTING. 



217 



PLANTING. 



sential to its increasing in thickness. 

 In this matter much must he left to 

 the discretion of the planter, who 

 must always bear in mind that a 

 staked plant is in a most unnatural 

 position ; and also, that if the tree 

 should lean somewhat to one side for 

 some years after planting, it will ulti- 

 mately become more or less erect ; 

 and that a strong, vigorous-looking 

 plant leaning a little to one side, af- 

 fords a greater evidence of its being 

 secure and in sound health, than a 

 straight erect plant kept in that posi- 

 tion by a stake. In the case of plant- 

 ing trees with stems three or four 

 inches in diameter in exposed situa- 

 tions, two or three stakes may be used 

 placed at a short distance from the 

 base of the stem and leaning towards 

 it ; and where they are made fast, 

 they should be joined by matting, 

 hay-ropes, or some other soft material, 

 so as not to injure or confine the bark. 

 Before transplanting trees of a timber 

 size, the main roots are frequently 

 cut at the distance of five feet or six 

 feet from the stem a year previously 

 to transplanting ; in cousequence of 

 which, they send out fibres which in 

 the course of the summer become 

 small roots, so that when transplanted, 

 the tree, instead of drawing its prin- 

 cipal nourishment from spongioles at 

 the distance of twenty feet or perhaps 

 thirty feet from the stem, is enabled 

 to draw it from the distance of six or 

 eight feet, and thus to continue grow- 

 ing, though not with the same degree 

 of vigour as if it had not been trans- 

 planted. Some kinds of trees, when 

 of a large size, such as the Sycamore, 

 the Lime, the Horse-chesnut, and a 

 few others, may be transplanted with- 

 out this precaution ; but in this case, 

 the operation must be performed in 

 autumn as soon as the leaves have 

 dropped, in order to give the roots 

 time to form some fibres during the 

 winter; and the greater the distance 



from the stem at which the roots 

 are cut, the greater will be the success. 

 Large trees with wide-spreading roots 

 when transplanted, seldom require to 

 be staked, because the roots form a 

 broad base, which prevents the stem 

 from being blown to one side. "Where 

 there is danger anticipated from high 

 winds, the tree may be secured by 

 three guy-ropes tied to the upper 

 part of the stem, and made fast to 

 stakes driven into the ground at such 

 a distance from the tree as that the 

 ropes may form an angle with the 

 ground of 45° ; or the stronger roots 

 may be kept in their position by 

 stakes driven into the ground with 

 their heads beneath the surface of the 

 soil, the main roots being made fast 

 to them by cords. 



In all cases of transplanting deci- 

 duous trees, with the exception of the 

 Beech and the Hornbeam, some 

 pruning should be given to the top, so 

 as to lessen the number of branches 

 and leaves which are to be supplied 

 by the root. The quantity of branches 

 that are required to be removed will 

 depend partly on the kind of tree, 

 and partly on the intention of the 

 planter, but mainly on the climate 

 and soil. Beech trees, as already 

 mentioned, are injured when trans- 

 planted by having many branches re- 

 moved, and often die in consequence. 

 Sycamores and all the Acer tribe, 

 having numerous fibres near the main 

 stem, require but little pruning of the 

 head. The same may be said of the 

 Yew and the Holly, the Lime and 

 the Elm. "When the object of the 

 planter is to produce immediate effect 

 by a bulky head, all the branches may 

 be left on, whatever may be the kind 

 of tree ; hut in that case the tree will 

 produce only leaves for a number of 

 years, or if it produce shoots they will 

 not exceed a few lines in length. 

 Ultimately, if the soil be poor and dry, 

 the tree will probably perish ; but if 



