56 
TRANSPLANTING. [chap. hi. 
to bury the collar of a plant; though this rule 
has some exceptions in the case of annuals. 
Some of these* such as balsams* send out 
roots from the stem above the collar; and 
these plants are always very much improved 
by transplanting. Others* the fibrous roots 
of which are long and descending* such as 
hyacinths* bear transplanting very ill* and 
when it is absolutely necessary to remove 
them* it should be done with an instrument 
called a transplanter; which may be pur¬ 
chased in any ironmonger’s shop* and the 
use of which is to take up a sufficient quan¬ 
tity of earth with the plant to remove it 
without disturbing the roots. 
The uses of transplanting are various. 
When seeds are sown* and the young plants 
from them begin to make their appearance* 
they will generally be found to be much too 
thick; and they will require thinning* either 
by drawing some of them out and throwing 
them away* or by removing them to another 
bed by transplanting. This* in the case of 
annuals* is called by the gardeners pricking 
out. The young plants are taken up with a 
small trowel* and replaced in a hole made 
