268 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
especially if the annual fall of leaves have always been 
removed and they have been unmanured, and they will 
have pushed their feeding roots further and further 
away in search of food. If the soil at one side of a tree, 
even at some distance away, is richer than at another, 
it will be in this better soil that the most fibrous roots 
will be found. By feeding a tree we cannot only in- 
crease its vigor and therefore lessen the shock of trans- 
planting, but at the same time increase the quantity 
of fibrous roots. To these ends the feeding and water- 
ing may be confined to an area around the trunk of 
about ten feet radius. The soil within this limit should 
be forked up a few inches deep and sheep manure, 
very fine bone meal and cotton seed meal, equal parts 
of each, applied at the rate of two pounds to the square 
yard and worked in. This may be followed with good 
efifect by a mulch of good stable manure through which 
the rain or water when given will percolate. A tree 
should at least have one growing season after this 
Sometimes trees that have been growing in one po- 
sition for a number of years are prepared for removal 
by root pruning. This practice causes an increase of 
fibrous roots within the circle pruned but to be of any 
use it should be done one or two years previously to 
transplanting. It is generally better to prune half the 
roots one year and the other half the ne.xt. In pruning, 
roots should be carefully cut with a sharp knife from be- 
low upwards. Afterwards the trench made for the pur- 
pose should b( filled in and the ground within the circle 
fed and watered as suggested above. Trees are anchored 
by their large roots and therefore it will sometimes be 
necessary to guy a tree that has been root-pruned to pre- 
vent its being blown down. While this practice greatly 
decreases the labor involved in dissecting out and caring 
for a lot of spreading roots, the general consensus of 
opinion is that it is best to obtain all the roots possible 
over an area of thirty or forty feet in diameter around 
the tree, and this method does not prevent the retention 
of any sized ball that may be desired. 
When selecting a large tree for transplanting it must 
be borne in mind that one that was originally planted 
from a nursery will generally have a greater number of 
roots near its trunk than one naturally grown from seed 
in its present position. A tree growing in a shallow, poor 
soil will have a more extended root sj-stem than one of 
similar age growing in a .deep rich soil. The selected 
tree should he of moderate age and always thrifty, that 
is, making a fair amount of yearly growth. In the case 
of a tree known to be young, say twenty to twenty-five 
years old, moving it to a better position and giving it 
good treatment will invarialily cause it to thrive. It is of 
little use attempting to transplant large trees that are 
growing upon a steep slope or in a very rocky soil or 
which are in a very unthrifty condition. The easiest 
wild trees to move are those that have grown on a deep 
level soil in a valley not less than ten feet above the wa- 
ter level. They should also be in an open spot away from 
others. \\'hatever may be the quality of a tree, it will 
not transplant well if growing in a grove or wood, as 
when placed in the oi^en, the branches, which have always 
been sheltered, will inevitably die liack, and in the case of 
conifers the chances are very much against the trees' liv- 
ing. The same principle is involved in connection with 
trees growing by themselves but in such a position that 
they are sheltered from cold winds or shaded from much 
of the sun. Such trees will, to sav the least, inevitably 
receive a severe set back if transplanted in'^o a position 
open to sun and wind from every direction. Among the 
conifers the Hemlock is the most susceptible to a sudden 
change in environment of this character. When it is de- 
sired to create a grove with large trees, those that have 
been growing where they have received protection from 
others may be used, but it is advisable to so plant them 
that the sides which have been least exposed should be so 
placed that they will be as far as possible under the same 
conditions in respect of each other that they were before 
removal. 
When commencing work, a trench three feet wide 
should be dug all around the tree at a distance of from 
fifteen or twenty feet from the trunk, according to the 
size of the tree and spread of its roots. An initial mis- 
take is sometimes made of making the trench too nar- 
row, resulting in a cramped space to work in and conse- 
quent loss of time and greater liability of inflicting dam- 
age upon the roots. As soon as the roots are reached they 
should be cut off at the outside of the trench, carefully 
lifted up with the hands and tied back to a stake. The 
trench should be deepened until it is a foot or eighteen 
inches below the roots. The soil may now be excavated 
from under the roots and as the work proceeds, that on 
the top and among them should be carefully cleared 
av,-ay, the roots being tied into bundles as they are dis- 
sected out. A roimd pronged, smooth pointed fork is 
the best tool to use for the purpose and a light bar with 
a blunt point will be found very useful. This dissection 
of the roots cannot be too carefully carried out and the 
greatest amount of skill and patience must be used. Pro- 
tecting the roots with wet burlap as the work proceeds 
should not be omitted. 
\\ hen the soil has been cleared from the roots all round 
up to within three to five feet from the trunk according 
to conditions, the tree can be tilted by means of a block 
and tackle : this will cause the undisturbed roots to bring 
up with them a ball of subsoil and also aft'ord room for 
a man to work underneath for the purpose of reducing 
the earth from the bottom of the ball, if ihis is found 
necessary. The size and thickness of the ball left for 
removal with the tree will depend upon the strength of 
the truck and other means at command for the actual 
transportation. While, as above mentioned, the retain- 
ing of a ball in the case of deciduous trees is not really 
of so great an importance as the securing of a good spread 
of roots, evergreens should always be moved with one 
for the sake of conveying some of the bacteria in the soil 
in which the tree has been growing, and wliich are neces- 
sary for the tree's welfare. 
Xo doubt all trees require their own special bacteria 
to some extent, but, with the exception of the Beech, 
those of a deciduous nature are apparentlv less particular 
in this respect. At the same time. Tulip trees and Mag- 
nolias should also always be transplanted with a ball even 
if of small size. 
The method used for the transportation of the tree 
must depend upon its size and the weight of the ball, if 
any. Trees up to six inches caliper without balls can be 
easily loaded on to a low wagon or truck, and if the new 
position is close at hand trees with and without balls may 
be moved upon skids and rollers. It is always better, 
however, especially in connection with trees of larger 
size than the above, to have them moved with the special 
trucks and appliances invented and used bv those who 
have for many years made a special business of moving 
big trees. 
The hole for the reception of the tree should be made 
ready for it in advance. If the subsoil is at all imper- 
vious the question of drainage must be considered and 
provided for. Breaking up the subsoil by means of an 
explosive will often secure sufficient drainage and will 
at the same time benefit the tree by giving its roots a 
deeper feeding ground and assisting the rise of moisture 
in times of drought. This drainage is necessarv for the 
purpose of keeping the soil sweet and to prevent it from 
