APPENDIX. 
449 
roots by gearings attached to the axle, and the whole is transported to 
the destined location. 
In order more effectually to insure the growth of large specimens when 
transplanted, a mode of preparing beforehand a supply of young roots, is 
practised by skilful operators. This consists in removing the top soil, 
partially undermining the tree, and shortening back many of the roots ; 
and afterwards replacing the former soil by rich mould or soil well ma- 
nured. This is suffered to remain at least one year, and often three or 
four years ; the tree, stimulated by the fresh supply of food, throws out an 
abundance of small fibres, which render success, when the time for re- 
moval arrives, comparatively certain. 
It may be well to remark here, that before large trees are transplanted 
into their final situations, the latter should be well prepared by trench- 
ing, or digging the soil two to three feet deep ; intermingling throughout 
the whole a liberal portion of well decomposed manure, or rich compost. 
To those who are in the habit of planting trees of any size in unpre- 
pared ground, or that merely prepared by digging one spit deep and 
turning in a little surface manure, it is inconceivable how much more 
rapid is the growth, and how astonishingly luxuriant the appearance of 
trees when removed into ground properly prepared. It is not too much 
to affirm, that young trees under favourable circumstances, — -in soil so 
prepared, — will advance more rapidly and attain a larger stature in eight 
years, than those planted in the ordinary way, without deepening the soil, 
will in twenty ; and trees of larger size in proportion, —a gain of growth 
surely worth the trifling expense incurred in the first instance. And 
the same observation will apply to all planting. A little extra labour 
and cost expended in preparing the soil will, for a long time, secure a 
surprising rapidity of growth. 
In the actual planting of the tree, the chief point lies in bringing 
every small fibre in contact with the soil, so that no hollows or inter- 
stices are left, which may produce mouldiness and decay of the roots. 
To avoid this the soil must be pulverized with the spade before filling in, 
and one of the workmen, with his hands and a flat dibble of wood, 
should fill up all cavities, and lay out the small roots before covering 
them in their natural position. When watering is thought advisable, 
(and we practice it almost invariably,) it should always be done while 
the planting is going forward. Poured in the hole when the roots are 
57 
