steuart's planter's guide. M3 



the earth and roots into a firm body like a large 

 millstone, poming some water upon it the evening 

 previous to the commencement of the frost, that it 

 might become firmer ; we then proceeded with our 

 sledging during the frost if the road was smooth ; 

 and, if rough, we covered over the frozen root with 

 straw to retain the frost ; and the first day of fresh, 

 when the ground was soft and slippery above, and 

 hard underneath, we proceeded with our work, taking- 

 care not to cover up the root with earth till it had 

 thawed. We have found (contrary to general opi- 

 nion), that no injury is sustained by exposure of the 

 roots of various kinds of trees to frost, or as great 

 cold as generally occm*s at the surface of the ground 

 in this climate. We have succeeded equally well with 

 pear-trees, which had lain out on the exposed bare 

 crown of a ridge for two months of winter, without 

 the smallest quantity of earth adhering to the roots, 

 or protection of any kind, as with those immediately 

 from the ground where they grew. We have even 

 thought that a certain exposure of the roots to cold 

 increased their susceptibility to be stimulated to 

 strike quicker by the warmth of the ground in 

 spring, and thus the root suction coming to act 

 sooner than it usually does in transplanted trees 

 without balls, and nearer the time of the expansion 



Q 2! 



