176 



THE planter's GUIDE. 



has never been prepared, for the purpose of taking it up, 

 that in anj tolerable rooting-groimd, he will find the 

 points of the roots, if not mechanically prevented, running 

 out to the full extent of the branches, and sometimes still 

 farther out. Hence he should begin cautiously to try 

 with the spade and picker, in order to discover the extreme 

 points of the rootlets. Whether the roots he may lay 

 bare belong to the plant, or to some other tree of the 

 same species, he will at a glance perceive, from what the 

 workmen call " the feathering," — that is, the position of the 

 capillary rootlets upon the primary rootlets or branches, 

 which are always found pointing outwards from the body 

 of the tree. 



Having ascertained where the extremities lie, the next 

 step to be taken is to open a trench two or two and a 

 feet wide, and cut down to the subsoil, or deeper, should 

 the roots have penetrated so far. The bank in which the 

 roots seem to lie, is then to be undermined to the extent 

 of eight or ten inches, in order to facilitate the operation 

 of the picker. Two workmen are next to extricate or 

 scratch up the roots, while one more is sufficient to throw 

 out the mould, which in consequence falls down into the 

 trench ; and thus the workmen are distributed three and 

 three together, according to the number employed, over 

 the whole extent of the excavation. As every effort 

 must be made to preserve the minutest fibres and capillary 

 rootlets entire, the difference between an experienced and 

 an inexperienced workman is very striking, in an operation 

 of so much nicety ; and the surprising dexterity which 

 some men of ingenuity and attention acquire in this 

 department, is as valuable to the employer as it is beau- 

 tiful and interesting to the spectator who examines it. 

 The main thing which the pickman has here to study is, 

 never to strike across the roots, but as much as possible 



