PLANTING. 



375 



screwed up tight, the plant may be removed at 

 once ; or, if there be any apprehension of danger 

 in consequence of the roots being cut, the soil 

 may be filled in, and the whole allowed to remain 

 until the root wounds are healed, and the spon- 

 gioles again formed, when all that is required is 

 to remove the soil from the trench carefully, 

 and proceed as if the lifting had taken place at 

 once. When all is prepared, the truck is run 

 back, the wheels kept on two planks laid over 

 the sides of the trench, the draught-pole is ele- 

 vated until the two strong hooks in the hinder 

 part of the trench catch into the top holes of the 

 centre arm of each of the sides, which, for that 

 purpose, are about 6 inches higher than the 

 others. These being hooked on, the draught- 

 pole is drawn down, the tree and its ball are 

 drawn up from the pit, as by a lever, the ball 

 secured to the truck, and if the tree is tall it 

 may be attached to the draught-pole by a rope. 

 A rope is also taken round the stem of the tree, 

 quite at its base, and carried once or twice round 

 the ball, and then secured to the axle. The tree 

 is then removed to its destination, and when 

 placed over the centre of the pit — the wheels at 

 the same time being supported by two planks 

 laid across the sides of the hole, and blocked to 

 keep them steady — the rope is removed, and the 

 draught-pole is elevated so as to let the ball rest 

 on the bottom of the pit prepared for it. The 

 truck is then disengaged from the ball by un- 

 hooking it from the cradle, and removed ; the 

 iron rods below and around the ball are un- 

 screwed and drawn out, which is readily accom- 

 plished by cutting back the side of the pit to 

 allow their being pulled out in that direction. 

 This finishes the operation. 



The advantage of placing the cradle under the 

 ball some months previous to final removal is 

 considerable in the case of very rare or choice 

 plants, as then the conditions of the roots and 

 spongiolets will be seen in their natural condi- 

 tion according to the season of the year they are 

 to be examined. If it is deemed expedient upon 

 sight to tighten up the screws of the cradle, it 

 can readily be done, and the whole mass of ball 

 and plant can then be raised from the pit, and 

 may be placed on whatever machine may be at 

 command, in the absence of the truck here re- 

 presented, to convey it to its new abode. Should 

 the young fibres and spongiolets have even 

 somewhat extended beyond the sides or ends of 

 the cradle, no injury need befall them, as, in 

 the process of lifting up the ball, the whole 

 pressure will be upon its bottom, where few, if 

 any, roots of consequence will be found ; and 

 should there be some, their loss will be a matter 

 of little consideration compared with the side 

 ones. The holes in the tops of the two frames 

 being from 2 to 3 inches in diameter, a couple 

 of strong poles may be passed through them, 

 when smaller plants are to be removed, by 

 which four, six, eight men, or more, may readily 

 lift the ball out of the hole, and place it upon a 

 low truck or carriage. Should, however, the tree 

 be large and the ball very weighty, two iron bars 

 may be employed instead of the wooden ones, 

 and various mechanical powers may be used for 

 lifting. The rationale of this mode is, that the 



roots and ball can be removed with as little in- 

 jury as if they were growing in a box. It will 

 readily be seen from this, that a separate cradle 

 will be required for each tree removed, assuming 

 the preparation of the root is deemed necessary ; 

 but when we consider the trifling expense of 

 each, and that they will last for years, and insure 

 the safe removal of the tree, their cost, we think, 

 will not be grudged. The cradle we have just 

 described we think has advantages over the 

 boarded platform recommended by both Mr 

 Barron and Mr Mackay, on account of its being 

 more readily placed under the ball, and also as 

 it gives protection to the sides and ends of the 

 ball, which these do not. We may also add, that 

 it is well adapted for being attached to their 

 machines ; and when the tree is small, we would 

 say no means of elevating it for the purpose of 

 being placed on a truck is better than that of 

 M'Glashan's levers, having for their fulcrum two 

 trestles, one on each side of the tree. 



Standish and Noble's crate. — These enter- 

 prising cultivators, in preparing ornamental 

 trees in the nursery preparatory to their being 

 permanently removed to their ultimate place 

 of growth, particularly in exposed situations, 

 propose to grow them for a season or two 

 in skeleton boxes or cradles. " Procure," say 

 they, " some pieces of elm plank, about l|-inch 

 square, 9 inches long ; also a quantity of larch 

 stakes, about 1^ inches in diameter, and 9 inches 

 long ; split them longitudinally ; take four pieces 

 of the elm, one for each corner, and nail them to 

 the pieces of larch, leaving spaces of about three- 

 fourths of an inch between each two, leaving the 

 top open. You have now the skeleton of a box 

 or crate for the reception of the plant. The 

 spaces between the bars are to allow free egress 

 to the roots. Place a plant in each, in a compost 

 of good turfy loam, with a little leaf-mould. At 

 first they should be placed in sheltered situa- 

 tions, but removal should take place twice a-year, 

 in spring and autumn; and at each remove a less 

 sheltered situation should be chosen, till they at 

 last occupy a tolerably exposed locality. They 

 should always be kept planted as deep as the top 

 of the crates. At the close of the second season 

 they will be in a suitable condition to be placed 

 in their permanent places. They need not be 

 removed from their crates, as they will be quite 

 rotten before the roots are of sufficient size to be 

 obstructed by them. By adopting such a course, 

 success will be obtained where every other 

 means have failed." The practice of growing 

 plants in coarse baskets for a time before re- 

 moval has long been in use. The crate system 

 is, however, we think, preferable, as being more 

 durable, and better fitted for transport. 



Mr M'Nab's apparatus for removing trees. — ■ 

 Great success has for years attended the removal 

 of trees, both deciduous and evergreen, in the 

 Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. The thorough 

 knowledge the late Mr M'Nab had of vegetable 

 physiology, and his long experience as a most 

 excellent cultivator, led, no doubt, in the first 

 instance, to his finally determining not only the 

 most fitting season, but also the most judicious 

 mode of performing the operation. With trees 

 or shrubs of small growth, little difficulty pre- 



