PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING. 
457 
In proportion to the degree of injury sus- 
tained by the spongioles, the exhaling surface 
must be reduced, or some other means be 
employed in order to produce an artificial 
equilibrium ; 3d, This artificial equilibrium, 
must be maintained by the favourable external 
conditions of quietness and repose (so to 
speak) until the roots become re-established, 
and enabled again to perform their part in 
the economy of the plant. 
Next in importance to the principles which 
should guide the transplanter, is the season at 
which he carries them into practice. It has 
already been stated that any plant may be 
removed at any time with success, provided 
certain conditions are complied with. These 
conditions being chiefly the obstruction of the 
perspiration from the leaves and branches, so 
as to meet the deficiency of supply resulting 
from the mutilation of the roots; the supplying 
of abundant moisture, so as to aid the roots 
in meeting the demand upon them ; and the 
careful performance of the operation. The 
processes thus involved are, however, too 
tedious and expensive for general application 
in the case of tree-planting ; and hence it be- 
comes essential, as a general rule, to select 
that season of the year for the operation when 
the evils which have been alluded to may be 
experienced in the least possible degree. That 
season is the autumn; for then the plants are in 
their least active condition ; the leaves or 
perspiring organs of deciduous plants are then 
cast off, and those which retain their foliage 
are nearly inactive ; the atmospheric condi- 
tions, moreover, are then most conducive to 
the inactivity of their organs, so that plants 
lifted at that period find themselves more or 
less established and ready for renewed action 
when the spring or season for action arrives. 
One reason of this is, that when trees are 
planted in the autumn, the warmth which the 
soil has acquired during summer not being 
quite expended, acts as a gentle stimulus to 
the roots, which soon form new spongioles or 
feeding-mouths, and thus the plants are placed 
in a condition to meet the demands made upon 
the roots by the expanding leaves and drying 
winds, which in the spring come upon the 
plants simultaneously. In the case of spring 
planting, however, the soil having been cooled 
down during winter, no such stimulus exists 
to bring the roots into play ; the consequence 
is, that when the parching winds beat upon 
the plants, and the leaves burst from their 
scaly prison under the influence of the warmth 
of spring, the roots are unable to meet the 
demand, and the plant necessarily languishes 
in proportion to their incapacity, which, if 
excessive, results in its death. This refers 
principally to trees and shrubs. In the ease 
of flower-garden plants, and culinary crops, 
which are required to be planted at various 
periods throughout the year, and especially 
throughout the spring and summer, the suc- 
cess of the operation depends a great deal 
upon the selection of favourable intervals, 
when the atmospheric conditions do not very 
greatly excite the perspiratory organs of the 
plants, and upon the careful removal of the 
plants, so as to mutilate the roots as little as 
possible. Showery periods are, therefore, the 
most proper to select in these cases ; and if 
showery weather does not offer, then dull, 
calm weather ; or if this does not happen to 
present itself, the only alternative is to plant 
towards evening, that the plants may have 
the benefit of whatever they may be able to 
do towards establishing themselves during the 
night. Sometimes shading must be resorted 
to ; and at all times, if the weather and the 
soil be dry especially, water must be freely 
supplied. Plants which are planted out of 
pots are liable to but little of the checks which 
have been alluded to, and may therefore be 
operated on with a proportionately less amount 
of risk, or will succeed with a proportionately 
less degree of after attention, provided they 
are at first fairly planted. 
Passing by these to the practical require- 
ments of successful transplantation, the next 
in order of importance is the preparation of 
the soil, which involves draining, pulver- 
izing, aerating, &c, by the means which we 
have often pointed out. On this part of 
the subject we may be very brief, inasmuch 
as what has been formerly advanced in refer- 
ence to the healthy preparation of the soil, is 
of general application. 
With regard to draining, no plants will 
thrive if the soil is filled with stagnant water, 
unless it be an aquatic or semi-aquatic. Plants 
of this water-loving character are, therefore, 
those only which should be expected to grow 
where perfect drainage is either neglected or 
unattainable. For every other description of 
plant, the provision of means for the passing 
away of superfluous water is essential to 
success. 
The mechanical condition of the soil is of 
importance. Thus, soils should not be so loose 
and porous in texture as to admit of the too 
rapid evaporation of the moisture they are 
capable of holding ; neither should they be 
so close and adhesive as to prevent the free 
passage both of fluids and of the atmosphere. 
Soils which are naturally of either of these 
conditions must, besides being drained and 
trenched, be corrected by the addition of 
earths of an opposite quality; which latter are 
to be blended with the original soil in the pro- 
portion necessary to produce a free, friable, 
and pervious medium for the roots. But 
when all this is done, the whole mass of soil 
