General Instructions. 



nearly up to the top. These tap roots must, therefore, be 

 cut olF to within three or four or five inches of the plant ; 

 and then the part that is left, will throw out side roots ; 

 and the tree will remove well into plantations. All trees, 

 however, have not such tap roots 5 the Tulip tree, for in- 

 stance, and trees of low stature, very seldom have them. 

 Some trees, as will hereafter be mentioned, may go at once 

 out of the seed bed into plantations, and this is particu- 

 larly the case with the Locust Tree, which has a fleshy root, 

 and takes readily when transplanted. 



68. I have now to speak of the manner of taking trees 

 up in the nursery for planting out ; of packing them for 

 conveyance from one place to another, of keeping them 

 waiting for the act of planting ; and of pruning their roots 

 previous to planting. As to the first of these, the trees 

 should be taken up with great care ; the earth should be 

 dug away deeply on the sides of them ; and they should be 

 taken out of the ground with their roots as whole as pos- 

 sible, and with very little or wo pulling ; for, though a con- 

 siderable part of the lower ends of the roots must be cut 

 off, no part of them ought to be torn, for the tearing may 

 extend nearly up to the plant ; and the consequences of a 

 broken or torn root, are precisely similar to those of a 

 broken or torn branch. A rotting takes place to some 

 extent at least, and the tree will, in consequence of such 

 rotting, not thrive nearly so w^ell. 



69. If trees be to be sent from one place to another, they 

 ought, if the distance be such as to make it necessary for 

 them to be several days out of the ground, to be packed 

 up in the following manner. First, lay a mat or cloth 

 upon the ground; lay some straw upon that, to the thick- 

 ness of four or five inches; then lay upon the straw as 



