THE PLANTEii's GUIDE. 



177 



in the line of their elongation, always standing in the 

 right line of diyergence from the tree as a centre ; that 

 is, in such a line or lines as the rays of the sun are 

 represented to describe in emanating from that luminous 

 body. In striking the picker into the ground, which 

 must sometimes be done pretty deeply, there is a certain 

 dexterous shake, more easily understood than described, 

 which a superior workman knows how to gi^e with the 

 implement ; and that, when properly applied, will more 

 efficaciously and speedily discover and disengage the 

 various bearings and ramifications of the root than any 

 other method. 



By thus continuing to extricate the roots, and to 

 shovel away the mould that falls into the trench at one 

 and the same time, an immense body, amounting to thou- 

 sands, and sometimes to milHons of roots, great and small, 

 will ere long be disengaged, and which must be carefully 

 laid aside or bundled up, so as to make room for the 

 workmen, and also to avoid the strokes of their imple- 

 ments, as well as injury from their feet. In like manner 

 the stiffer roots must be cautiously put aside and disposed 

 of, and any that are broken or lacerated cut off. Ere long 

 the pickmen from all sides nearly meet in the centre, by 

 approaching to within three, four, or five feet of the stem, 

 in proportion to its size ; and at this point the process of 

 extrication ceases, as it would be imprudent to advance 

 too near the collar of the tree. A ball of earth round 

 the stem, as large as can be got according to the nature 

 of the soil, with two or three feet broad of the original 

 sward adhering to it, should now, if possible, be left un- 

 disturbed at that place. 



The above, as the reader will perceive, is a very com- 

 plicated and delicate process, although probably more 

 complicated in the description than in the execution. It 



M 



