376 



HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



sents itself ; but when they are of extraordinary 

 size, other appliances must be had recourse to 

 than that of merely carrying them by the hand, 

 or on an ordinary handbarrow. Such appliances 

 have been constructed in these gardens; and we 

 are indebted to Mr James M'Nab, the present in- 

 telligent curator, for being enabled to delineate, 

 by the following woodcuts, the apparatus em- 

 ployed by him for this important purpose. We 

 may, however, premise, by saying that they are 

 simple and easily constructed, which is not the 

 least of their merits. The ball of the tree in- 

 tended to be removed is carefully separated 

 from the surrounding soil, with as many of its 

 roots preserved as possible, the stronger being 

 cut off close to the surface of the ball, while the 

 more flexible are tied up in bundles, enveloped 

 in soft hay or straw, and covered with a double 

 mat, to keep the whole together. A piece of 

 cord is then placed loosely round it, between 

 which and the cord are set upright pieces of 

 thin boarding, from 2 to 3 inches broad, of equal 

 length, and 3 or 4 inches apart all round, the 

 cord keeping them in their proper places. These 

 boards being adjusted, a strong half-inch rope 

 doubled is put round the upper part of the ball, 

 making it fast in front, 

 but not too light ; the 

 remaining portion of the 

 rope is taken down the 

 front, as in fig. 133, and is 

 made to surround the ball 

 again near the bottom, af- 

 ter which the ropes are to 

 be tightened up by means 

 of a rack-pin, so that the 

 whole may be kept tightly 

 together. The ball is then 

 to be undermined on one 

 side, as near to the centre as possible, and a piece 

 of strong board, say 8 or 9 inches broad, is to be 

 introduced under it, and the tree drawn gently 

 over to the side under which the board is placed, 

 while the operation of undermining the opposite 

 side is going on ; and when a similar board is 

 placed under that side, the tree is to be brought 

 to the perpendicular again, resting on the two 

 boards, which may be called the lifting boards. 

 Two strong ropes are then brought under the 

 lifting boards, as shown in fig. 134. The ends 



Fig. 133. 



m'nab's mode 

 of transplanting. 



M'NAB S MODE OF TRANSPLANTING. 



of these ropes are then brought up and secured 

 to the handspikes or beam's, as shown in fig. 135 ; 

 and, to prevent the ropes from slipping off the 

 lifting boards, notches are cut in them into which 

 the ropes fit. For plants which two, six, or ten 

 men can easily carry, this apparatus is quite 

 sufficient, if the distance be not great to which 



the tree is to be removed. When ten men are 

 employed, two additional handspikes are placed 

 across the others at right angles, which will 

 Fig. 135. 



m'nab's mode of transplanting. 



afford lifting power for four men more, six being 

 employed upon the others, in the way in which 

 masons carry large stones upon their hand- 



M'NAB S HAND -TRANSPLANTER. 



barrows. Fig. 136 shows the tree ready for re- 

 moval. If the tree be too large for six men to 



Fig. 137. 



M'NAB'S TRANSPLANTING TRUCK. 



