THE PLANTEK's guide. 



209 



the machine now directs the advance of each wheel, or of 

 both, as he sees necessary, by which means he is enabled 

 to bring tlie root of the tree right upon the centre ; while 

 at the same time the director, occupying the transverse 

 station, which is the more important of the two, orders a 

 halt to be made at the proper moment, (for both cannot 

 see the same objects ;) and in this manner the stem is 

 brought directly to the centre without being permitted to 

 overshoot the mark. Two stakes or stones, or other stays, 

 are now put to the wheels, in order to prevent their 

 further advancement, and to get every thing in readiness 

 for di'opping the tree on the spot intended. These 

 arrangements, how complex soevei' they may appear in 

 the narrative, are simple in reality, and, barring accidents, 

 do not occupy above a few minutes. 



Preparation is now made for dropping the tree into the 

 pit. The bundles of roots are every where loosened, and 

 the roots freed from the wheels. The cords which con- 

 fine the top are removed, and the branches suffered to 

 gain their natural position. Meanwhile an active work- 

 man is sent to the top, to fix two ropes transversely to 

 each other, in order to steady it when set up ; while 

 another gets under the axle of the machine, and, bringing 

 out the roots of the under side, pulls them right towards 

 the rear, in order to save them from being broken by the 

 great weight of the descending mass ; when, on a signal 

 being given, the steersman and his assistants, together 

 with the balancemen, as the case may be, quit their 

 stations and their hold of the pole-rope and branches, and 

 the tree suddenly rises to the upright position. All this 

 may be readily apprehended by considering its actual 

 situation on the machine, as represented in plate III. 



If the longest branches have not been accurately 

 brought to the stormy quarter, it is now the time to cor- 



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