448 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 20 3890. 
TREE MOVING AT CANFORD MANOR. 
A discussion upon tree moving, initiated by “ D.” in the pages 
of the Journal of Horticulture, has proved interesting and instruc¬ 
tive to numerous readers, and although it is not my intention to 
take any part in this, I may be able to communicate a few facts 
having an important bearing upon the subject. It has been my 
good fortune to meet with many instances of what can be done in 
the way of moving large trees, and have known cases where eight 
men and as many horses have been a whole week in shifting single 
specimens about ten miles. That such proceedings are very costly 
must be admitted, but there is no gainsaying the remarkable effect 
they create, a few transplanted trees doing more to relieve the 
nakedness of new places, or to shut out unsightly objects, than can 
be accomplished in twenty years by other means. Naturally very 
much depends upon circumstances. Unless the work is done 
thoroughly, no reasonable expense or labour being spared, it is better 
left alone. Badly moved, the trees either perish or remain in a 
stunted state for many years, and in this case quite young trees 
planted at the same time would, and very frequently do, surpass 
them in every way in the course of a few years. 
So much for my own views on the matter, and now for what my 
readers were led to expect from the heading of this article. Learn¬ 
ing that tree moving on a large scale was being carried out by Mr. 
T. H. Grasp at Canford Manor, I made it my business to pay him a 
visit, and to take particular note of the methods of procedure 
COLLAR SHUT 
READY FOR LIFTING 
SIDE VIEW • 
LIFTING BAR 
0 
SCALE l "= IF 00 T 
FIG. GO. —DIAGRAMS OF CUASP'S TREE-LIFTING COLLAR. 
adopted. As has been previously stated in these pages, there are 
50 acres of pleasure grounds at Canford, and to these are now 
being added 15 acres more. This entailed the removal of some 
old buildings, and the blotting out of more, and seeing that there 
are many thousands of shrubs, Conifers, and deciduous trees on the 
place so crowded together as to spoil each other, it was decided to at 
once create the desired effect with some of these. Mr. Crasp being 
a firm believer in doing such important work as early in the planting 
season as possible, commenced operations in September, several 
trees having been moved and much other good work done by the 
end of the month. Various deciduous trees, notably Horse 
Chestnuts and Limes, were moved when in full leaf and quite 
green, and when I saw them they were as fresh in appearance as 
they could be, and doubtless would form many fresh root fibres 
before the cold weather. Moving these, however, was child’s play 
compared with what had to be done in the case of transplanting 
a grand specimen of Thuja Lobbi or gigantea a distance of about 
two miles. This fine tree, of which a sketch has been submitted to 
the Editor, is 50 feet high and 28 feet through near the ground, and 
knowing how well the work was done, and the subsequent attention 
bestowed upon the tree, I have no doubt whatever about the success 
of the operation. 
Among other trees to be moved or already shifted are handsome 
specimens of Picea nobilis from 20 feet to 30 feet in height, Picea 
cephalonica of about the same height, Taxodium sempervirens 
somewhat larger, Picea Pinsapo also good specimens, handsome trees 
of Cupressus elegans, and some of the finest Rrtinosporas and 
Thujopsis aolabrata I have yet seen. In addition several hundred 
smaller specimen Conifers and various large shrubs are to be, or 
have already been moved, and in all probability this kind of 
work, for reasons already given, will have to be continued several 
seasons. 
^ At Canford the subsoil is of a very gravelly nature, the top 
spits being also full of pebbles. It is not, therefore, the worst of 
soils to deal with, nor is it the best, looseness and dryness having 
both to be contended with. Not a tree has been previously prepared 
in any way for moving, but in spite of this the necessary large 
balls of soil are well preserved about the roots. These masses 
of soil vary in weight from 5 cwt.. to as many tons in weight, 
and it was estimated that fully 6 tons of earth was moved with 
the Thuja Lobbi already alluded to. In each case the methods 
adopted are much the same, the size of balls and apparatus for 
moving them necessarily varying. If, therefore, I describe the 
operation of shifting the handsome Picea nobilis, of which a 
photograph was taken when on the trolley, and a copy of which 
has been sent with these notes, this will suffice. 
The first proceeding was to dig a wide, square, and deep trench 
so as to leave a ball rather more than 8 feet square, nearly the 
whole of which was preserved intact to a depth of 30 inches. 
Being well below the latter depth, the next step was to undermine 
the centre with crowbars sufficiently to admit of a stout plank 
8 feet in length being thrust under, and this was duly blocked up 
lightly with the aid of piers formed with loose bricks. Pour feet 
away from this on each side two other planks were similarly worked 
underneath the ball, and these being propped up with brick piers 
supported the edge of the ball when this was reduced to the desired 
width. The tree was then gradually undermined both ways, and 
planks added and bricked up as the work went on, these eventu¬ 
ally supporting the whole weight of the tree, when the remaining 
subsoil w r as picked out. Good care being taken to build these 
brick piers on a solid foundation, and all of one height, or about 
2 feet, the tree settled down on this without a hitch of any 
kind. While all this was being done by handy labourers, others 
were preparing a way out for the tree, an easy slope being 
needed. 
Everything being thus well done, it was a comparatively easy 
matter to run a low strong trolley well under and close up to 
planks, the trolley being extra strong, capable of bearing 8 tons 
or more in w r eight, and constructed much after the pattern of the 
flat four-wheeled trollejs used for carrying luggage at railway 
stations. The bricks being knocked away the planks settle on the 
trolley, and the tree is ready for removal. Planks were laid for 
the trolley wdieels to run smoothly over, but even with this aid 
it is not considered advisable to employ horses for drawing such 
heavy trees out, snatching and straining being bad for both the 
tackle and the trees. Instead of horses a strong “ crab,” or port¬ 
able windlass, is used, and with this powerful aid the trolley is 
drawn out steadily and easily, scotches, however, being handy for 
stopping running back in case of either the ropes or chains snap¬ 
ping, as they sometimes do under the strain. Being once on the 
hard road planks were dispensed with, and four powerful horses 
managed to draw the tree to its destination. 
Once more both planks and “crab” -were brought into re¬ 
quisition. Being drawn with the aid of the latter into the 
exact position in which it was to remain, brick piers were once 
more formed under all the planks, and these supported the tree 
after the trolley was undermined and then drawn out. Fresh 
good soil was then banked well up to the central plank, which 
was removed, and more soil very firmly pressed under so as to be 
well up to the old ball. This process was continued from the 
centre till all the planks were knocked away, and the tree was 
once more resting on the ground. Four days altogether were 
expended on the transplanting of this tree at a cost probably of 
less than £6, including horse labour. 
For moving smaller trees, or any that two or four men can lift 
when duly prepared^ Mr. Crasp has a handy invention of his own, 
and which is well worthy of being generally used. It consists cf 
four elm boards each 3 feet long, 9 inches wide, and 1^ inch in 
thickness, all being hollowed out somewhat so as to form a circular 
hole in the centre when put together, without, however, impairing 
the strength of the boards. They are bolted together, a loop end 
being formed on the upper side of each bolt, and either being re¬ 
moved, the collar can be placed round the ball of a tree and 
again connected. First, however, a square trench is cut round the 
tree, so as to leave a ball 3 feet each way, the latter being then 
undermined sufficiently to admit of the collar being placed in 
position and connected. Each corner of this is then blocked up 
with bricks, and these, when the tree is undermined, support the 
collar and the tree. Occasionally a strong two-wheeled stone 
trolley with long powerful handle is run under the tree, and, the 
bricks being taken away, all is ready for removal. More often, 
though, strong cord loops are placed to each iron crook at the 
corners, and strong poles being passed through these two or four 
men lift the tree out of the hole and on to the trolley. The fresh 
site being duly prepared, four brick piers are again formed, the tree 
is lifted off the trolley on to these, soil being then firmly packed 
