212 



THE planter's GUIDE. 



proper deptli, but, whether in the one case or the other, 

 without altering the aspect of the tree or the position of 

 the branches. 



The next point, and the most important of the whole, 

 is to steady and set straight the tree, in order that it 

 may please the eye of taste on the one hand, and be 

 firmly secured against wind on the other. For this pur- 

 pose the first thing to be done is, to separate the work- 

 men into divisions of three and three together, as before. 

 Of these one workman seizes with both his hands as many 

 as he can of the lateral roots, that are long and flexible, 

 and, holding them carefully aside, opens a view into the 

 under-bed of the roots. The passage being cleared, the 

 second workman throws in mould of the finest sort he 

 can find, in such a way as to form a bank sloping out- 

 wards against the roots so held up, and treads it firmly 

 with his feet. He then carefully fills in and equalises all 

 the chasms or yacancies that appear ; while the third, 

 with a small blunt-pointed stake or rammer, about three 

 feet long, pushes in the mould, and makes it firm in the 

 cavities which the foot cannot reach. But it is to be 

 observed, that the workman who throws in the earth must 

 by no means spade it at random. He must patiently 

 wait for the co-operation of his two companions ; neither 

 hurrying the first, until every visible root is gathered up, 

 nor the second, until the earth thrown in has, by decal- 

 cation or by the rammer, obtained the utmost compact- 

 ness and consistency. 



In thus diligently and firmly bolstering up round the 

 nucleus, but yet underneath, and quite clear of the great 

 body of the roots and fibres, the different divisions of the 

 workmen continue going round the tree until they meet 

 one another, forming a sort of circular retaining bank of 

 the shape of a china saucer, of which the sides are of the 



