THE planter's GUIDE. 



181 



old and stead j-puUing horse, to employ him in this 

 business — for it is plain that one stout horse, acting 

 forcibly on the rope, vyill do more than twenty men, even 

 if so great a number could get about it ; and, moreover, 

 he will save some manual labour in excavating, by giving 

 an eflPectual pull at a much earlier period of the work. 

 The tree being drawn down, it is next forcibly held in 

 that position, until earth be raised to the height of a foot 

 or more on the opposite side of the pit, so that, as soon 

 as it is liberated, it springs up, and stops against the bank 

 thus formed. On this the workmen proceed to lighten 

 the mass of earth with the picker, laying bare the roots 

 as little as possible, but still necessarily reducing the 

 mass to manageable dimensions. The tree is then pulled 

 down on the opposite side, and a foot of earth forced up 

 in a similar manner ; and the same thing being repeated 

 once or twice, it is gradually raised to even a higher level 

 than that of the adjoining surface. In this manner, by a 

 method extremely simple, and not less expeditious, how- 

 ever it may appear in the narrative, it becomes quite an 

 easy, instead of a formidable undertaking, to draw the tree 

 from the pit. 



Before the tree is pulled down, as just now described, 

 there is one thing more which must not be omitted. 

 Almost all trees, as stated in Section lY., are ill balanced 

 in point of ramification, and towards the stormy quarter, 

 usually the south-west, they exhibit a "weather side;'' 

 which side, accordingly, is on removal to be reversed, as 

 shall be directed in the sequel. Therefore, while the tree 

 retains its upright position is the only certain time to 

 ascertain the side where the longest branches have been 

 thrown out. This is now accurately done by the director 

 of the work, and the side in question marked on the stem 

 with chalk, or very slightly with a knife, care being taken 



