Age, Size, Roots. 



many of the trees, as the mat will conveniently contain; 

 then cover the trees with a similar thickness of straw, 

 taking more care about the root than about the stem ; and 

 then draw the sides and the ends of the mat over, bringing 

 every part together with a very strong hand, and sew the 

 package up, with twine or some other thing sufficiently 

 strong. They should not be put together in this way, espe- 

 cially for a long journey, if they be ivet. They should not 

 be dry; but have merely the moisture which they would 

 have, if taken out of the ground in dry weather; that is 

 to say, weather dry over head ; for really dry weather is not 

 to be expected at such season of the year. 



70. If a considerable plantation be about to be made, and 

 es})ecially if the trees be to be sorted in point of size, it 

 would be necessary to take up the whole, before you begin 

 to plant. As fast as they are taken up and sorted, they 

 should, if the plantation is to take place near the spot where 

 the trees have been growing in the nursery, be what is 

 called laid by the heels; that is to say, a small trench is 

 made of the length required, or of a certain length accord- 

 ing to the shape of the ground where the work is to be 

 found, which trench is made in this manner. You dig out 

 a spit or couple of spits with a spade, and lay the earth 

 upon the undigged ground before you. Then, smooth this 

 little bank, and smooth also the rough ground, at the bot- 

 tom of the trench. When this is done, lay the trees along 

 this little bank, not too thickly, for, if laid in a heap, the 

 roots will mould, and if ihey mould, they are in great danger 

 of never growing afterwards. If they be roots of a fleshy 

 rooted tree, they will, if heaped much together, rot in a 

 short space of time. They may touch one anotlier, and 

 even lie two or three deep; but, if the earth do not touch 

 the lohole of the roots, they are very apt to contract mould. 



