Transplanting Trees. l05 
their water. Exposing fresh surfaces of soil to the air, is one 
means of procuring a fresh supply of this matter. Clay, and the 
oxide of iron contained in the soils, perform the important func- 
tions of absorption. This property of clay, is the one which ren- 
ders clay soils so much better for wheat than sandy soils: it fur- 
nishes a supply of ammonia, from which the wheat forms its ni- 
trogenous matters. 
.TRANSPLANTING TREES. 
Spring is the season when we find the most pleasure in making 
our rural improvements, and from this circumstance probably, it 
has become the most general season for planting trees — but our 
experience has proved that fall planting is the most successful, 
especially when droughts occur, as the trees planted in autumn 
suffer little or none from a drought, when those set out in spring 
often perish in consequence of it. 
It is a great fault with many, in diging holes for setting trees, 
to make them altogether too small and contracted, and instead of 
spreading the small roots, as they should do, they are very apt to 
crowd them down with the spade, not only bruising but cutting 
them off to the great injury of the tree. Our practice has been, 
and we have been very successful too, particularly with forest 
trees, to make the holes somewhat larger than is sufficient to ad- 
mit the roots in their natural position, and of sufficient depth to 
allow the tree to be placed two or three inches deeper than it was 
before transplanting. If there are any broken or wounded roots, 
we cut them off. Care should be taken, when the tree is taken 
up, to have as much of the earth adhere to the roots as possible. 
Previous to placing the tree, let from two to four shovels full of com- 
posted manure, in proportion to the size of the tree, be incorpo- 
rated with the earth, and the whole made fine previous to filling 
it in; and during the filling in of the earth, let the tree be worked 
to and fro, during the operation of filling in the earth, in order 
that the finer particles of the soil may be admitted, and fill the 
