144 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
No. 148. 
This magnificent tree, to which the Scrip¬ 
tures make very frequent allusions, derives its 
name from Mount Lebanon, in the vicinity of 
which it most largely abounded formerly. It is 
often spoken of in connection with buildings, 
and particular reference is made to Solomon’s 
Temple, and the four-score thousand (80,000) 
hewers in the mountains preparing the timber. 
Some writers think that the inroads made upon 
these forests at that time so thinned them out 
that they have never fully recovered. Certain 
it is, that late travelers do not find them abun¬ 
dant in those regions, although a few very large 
specimens are left, whose ages must date far 
back into the past, as many of them now measure 
over thirty feet in circumference. 
The trees were introduced into England many 
years ago, and succeed well in that moist atmos¬ 
phere. One is described by Loudon, 72 feet in 
hight and 24 feet in circumference. Another is 
spoken of which was blown down in 1779, and 
measured 70 feet in hight. It is a rapid growing 
tree in that country, after the first few years. 
They are not perfectly hardy in this country north 
of 40°, but in most localities south of that parallel 
succeed well. We have seen several beautiful 
specimens at Flushing, Long Island, of some 40 
or 1 0 feet in hight, with their broad, depending 
branches sweeping the ground in a circle of about 
45 feet in diameter. They show best when 
grown as single trees; the lower branches die 
out when they are crowded together in masses. 
They are produced, with some difficulty, from 
cuttings, in propagating frames or houses, but are 
more generally raised from seed sown in Spring, 
upon a rather light sandy loam, covering only 
one-half inch. They will require a slight protec¬ 
tion in this latitude, for the first few winters, 
after which, plant in a deep soil, somewhat moist. 
When grown in perfection, they form a splendid 
tree, as shown in the engraving. For this beau¬ 
tiful engraving we are indebted to A. O. Moore, 
the publisher of the last edition of Downing’s 
Landscape Gardening, which is noticed elsewhere 
in this number. The imprint shows that the 
sketch is from the publisher’s own pencil. 
Planting Evergreens—Best time For. 
May is on the whole the best month for plant¬ 
ing evergreens. ‘Not so,’ says Mr. Jones ; ‘I once 
planted some hemlocks and pines in May, and 
they nearly all died ; whereas, some that I set 
out in July lived, and so did some in August. I 
believe in July and August.’ 
Listen reader, while we tell you privately, how 
he planted his trees in May, and how those in July 
and August; then you may judge what his opin¬ 
ion is worth. He went to the woods, one fine 
warm day in May, dug up his hemlocks at his 
leisure, carried them home with the roots bare, 
set them out in a clay soil, dashed on a pail-full 
of water from the well, and took no further pains 
with them. His pines he bought of a strolling 
tree-peddler; and the pedler managed thus • He 
went to his swamp and dug up the pines in a 
very rough way, using his ax more than his spade, 
cutting off most of the roots for convenience in 
lifting and packing. When enough w r ere dug, he 
loaded them on his wagon like so many logs, and 
they spent the remainderof the day and the night 
on the wagon, uncovered. Next day they were 
leisurely drawn ten miles to the neighboring town, 
and delivered, nicely dried and baked by wind and 
sun. Just for looks’ sake, however, the pedler 
halted at a pump, before reaching the town, and 
threw a few pailfulls of water over his tiees. 
Mr. Jones, the purchaser, thought the trees 
looked very fresh, and as they were offered cheap, 
he asked no further questions, and ordered them 
to be set out. They wee set out, as posts are 
set, and most of them lived just as much as posts 
do. Now, after this experiment, who can fail to 
see that May is a bad month for transplanting 
evergre; ns! 
His work in July and August was done thus : 
Mourning over his earlier losses, he resolved to 
take more pains with his trees. He began by 
preparing large holes, rejecting the poor soil and 
carting in better, and providing a heap by the side 
of each hole for planting with. Then, taking ad¬ 
vantage of a cool and moist day, which had 
been preceded by several rainy ones, he went to 
the open fields (not to the woods), and dug up 
hemlocks, firs, and pines, getting as large roots 
as possible, and taking up also a ball of earth with 
each tree, and protecting them with old matting 
until they were planted. “That’s right.’’said an 
old gardener, who noticed his care in protecting 
the roo-ts from sun and wind, “ never let ’em see 
daylight, and the trees are sure to live” And 
they did live, nearly every one, and so did anoth¬ 
er lot which he purchased at the same time from 
a neighboring nursery, and treated with the same 
care. He not only planted them well, but mulch¬ 
ed their roots with leaves and flat stones. And 
because they lived, Mr. Jones insists that mid¬ 
summer is the best time for transplanting ever¬ 
greens ! And he declares that only stupid or ob¬ 
stinate people doubt it. 
Now, let us inquire whether early Summer is 
not the best time for doing this work. Observa¬ 
tion shows that evergreens have their greatest 
vigor, and are best able to overcome the shock of 
removal, at the time when they are just begin¬ 
ning to grow. Roots, branches, and buds are then 
in full action, and the tree’s annual impulse of 
growth is but slightly checked. Again' the roots 
of evergreens suffer more from exposure to sun 
and wind, than deciduous trees. Some physiolo¬ 
gists say that this is owing to the resinous quality 
of the sap in the roots which hardens on becom¬ 
ing dry, and stops the circulation, and can not be 
softened by any subsequent watering. Now, 
these two conditions are best met by planting in 
May, or early in June, when the tree is just, wak¬ 
ing into vigorous life, and when the ground and 
the atmosphere are comparatively moist. Of 
course it is possible to move evergreens in mid¬ 
summer, and indeed in almost every month ofthe 
year; but if the inquiry is^what on the whole is 
the best season, we answer unhesitatingly, in May. 
Such is the voice of theory, and the voice of prac¬ 
tice harmonizes with it. With few exceptions, 
