SUGGESTIONS FOR PLANTING TREES AND SHPUHS. 4 1 7 



THE SQUARE GARDEN, KING'S WESTON. 



prone to forget that an old tree occupies almost as much space under ground as it does above. 

 One of the great difficulties of tree-planting is that to enable them to thrive as well as 

 possible they must be planted closer together in their young state than they can remain 

 when their size has increased. This means the gradual removal for some years, and later 

 on the destruction of those which are not required. 



In the case of REMOVING TREES it is well to note that there is as much difference 

 among the various kinds of trees in their power to stand the shock" of removal as in their 

 toleration of the pruning knife. A broad general line can be laid down that evergreen trees 

 stand removal far worse than do their deciduous congeners. To give particular instances, 

 among the former, the Pinus Laricio, the Holly, and the evergreen Oak' are particularly 

 bad movers, while the Cypresses and Thujas occupy a middle place, and Yews and 

 Spruce Fir move fairly well. Of deciduous trees the Oak', Beech, and Spanish Chestnut are 

 bad to move, while softer-wooded kinds, such as Lime, Birch, Horse Chestnut, and 

 Sycamore, as well as all kinds of Thorn, transplant well. Of all trees the Horse Chestnut is by 

 far the best to move, and however big and at whatever time of year you move it, you will 

 find it hard to kill if reasonable pains be taken with its replanting. I have moved 

 one, about ioft. high and in full leaf, in the middle of the summer, without its resenting the 

 ill-timed operation at all. 



As to the best time for MOVING TREES, i.e., in spring or autumn, there will always 

 be disagreement, but my view is that, on a heavy soil at any rate, it is mainly a question 

 of season. If 1 could know beforehand that 1 should have an open winter, followed by a 

 droughty spring, hot sun and east wind, 1 should, undoubtedly, plant directly the first 

 autumn rains had soaked the soil ; if 1 could foresee a hard winter and mild moist spring 1 

 should go in for March-April removal. These remarks apply only to deciduous trees; in 

 the case of conifers, and indeed all evergreen trees, I am convinced that April (and in a 

 late season even late in April) is tire best time for removal. 



Personally, if I had to choose between moving a big Cypress or Pine in August or 

 December, 1 should unhesitatingly choose the former. The cause of the death of half the 



