PLANTING. 



381 



as well as those of the trunk at that part, be- 

 come bruised to an extent from which the tree 

 seldom recovers. Throwing over trees with 

 large balls and strong roots on their sides to 

 effect their removal in a horizontal direction, is 

 most destructive to the roots on the side of the 

 ball which is undermost. Difficulties will pre- 

 sent themselves, however, in the case of trees 

 to be removed in a perpendicular state when 

 they are to be taken out of thickets, or where 

 surrounded by other trees, on account of the 

 branches coming in contact with each other. 

 Trees so situated are not the most fit to be 

 taken out of sheltered plantations and planted 

 in open parks. It were better, therefore, to 

 choose such as are growing on the outskirts of 

 plantations as being better suited to stand the 

 exposure of the open park, as well as on account 

 of their being free from the entanglement of 

 the branches of others. It is worthy of remark 

 that Mr Holmes' season of operation com- 

 menced in September, and was finished in 

 December. The number of trees transplanted 

 ill 1847 was 204, of which 199 were in a thriv- 

 ing condition in November 1850. They aver- 

 aged from 48 feet in height to 13 feet ; and in 

 girth of stem, at 2 feet from the ground, from 



43 inches to 7 inches. The kinds were— 7 yews, 

 18 oaks, 59 beech, 1 purple beech, 3 birch, 22 

 elms, 5 limes, 36 hornbeam, 25 horse-chestnuts, 

 28 sycamores. We have in this an excellent 

 specimen of successful transplanting ; and no 

 doubt much of the success depended on the 

 early period at which the operation was per- 

 formed. 



Mr Mackay's large tree-lifting machine. — 

 The vast improvements of late years carried on 

 at Kingston Hall by the spirited proprietor, 

 Edward Strutt, Esq., by which a barren knoll 

 has been transformed into a richly-wooded park, 

 owes much of its present effect to the skill and 

 perseverance of Mr Mackay, Mr Strutt's intelli- 

 gent gardener, under whose directions the im- 

 provements were carried on. Mr Mackay, im- 

 proving on Mr Barron's large machine noticed 

 above, constructed one more perfect in some of its 

 details, although not essentially differing in prin- 

 ciple. A description and figure of this machine 

 was given in " The Gardeners' and Farmers' Jour- 

 nal." It has since been figured and described 

 very lucidly by Mr Brown of Arniston in " The 

 Forester," second edition, p. 474, which de- 

 scription and illustrations, figs. 141 to 144, will 

 show its principle. " It consists of two pairs of 



Fig. 141. 



mackay's transplanter, side elevation. 



Fig. 142. 



mackay's transplanter, ground plan. 



wheels, each pair working upon a strong axle of 

 superior quality. Each pair of wheels is about 

 9 inches broad in the rings. The pair situated 

 on the front part (see engraving at b) are about 

 5^ feet in diameter, and the pair situated on 

 the hinder part (see engraving at a) are about 7 

 feet in diameter, and distant from each other 

 about 15 feet, thus making the length of the 

 VOL. II. 



machine, from one axle to the other, 15 feet. 

 On each of the axles is placed a strong frame, 

 in order to raise the horizontal bearers to a con- 

 venient height, and at the same time with the 

 view of making the whole machine move in a 

 workable manner (see section of front frame k, 

 and section of back frame I). The front frame, 

 I may also state, is made to turn upon a hori- 



3 c 



