1850. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
139 
accompanied with a slight weeping or running. 
Upon examination, the wolf-teeth were found in 
front of the grinders. The horse’s eyes continued 
to grow worse until I had the wolf-teeth drawn.— 
Immediately after, the eyes improved, and soon be¬ 
came bright and perfectly sound, and still continue 
so. E. Bridgton , N.. J., Feb . 23, 1850. 
®lie horticultural ^Department 
CONDUCTED BY J. J. THOMAS. 
Transplanting. 
Much has been said on this very important art of 
altering the locality of a growing tree; but while 
so many trees are lost, and a still larger number 
stopped in growth by the operation, the subject can¬ 
not be regarded as done with. 
All the different parts of this work, come under 
one general requisite for success—which is, to take 
the tree up and set it out again just as it previ¬ 
ously stood , with as little violence to the different 
parts as practicable. 
1. One of the most obvious points, is to take up 
the roots as nearly whole or uninjured as may be 
done. Instead of cutting off the roots close to the 
tree., the spade must be set far back from it; and if 
the tree be of such sort as has tough roots, it should 
be slowly drawn up by the strength of two or three 
men; but if the roots are tender, the tree must be 
lifted out, earth and ail, and the earth removed af¬ 
terwards by shaking. The roots of a young tree 
usually extend in a circle equal in breadth to its 
height. In the annexed figure, where a is the trunk 
of the tree, b b the circle of roots cut off by the 
spade in a hasty or careless removal, the great ma¬ 
jority of the roots left in the soil outside of this cir¬ 
cle, may be at once perceived. 
But as about one-half of the roots must be cut off, 
even in a careful lifting of a good sized tree, the top 
must be Tightened with the knife in a corresponding 
proportion. From apple trees, one half of last 
year’s shoots -should be cut off, and two-thirds or 
three-quarters from peach trees. If the head is too 
compact, this proportion of the shoots may be cut 
entirely out; but if the head is thin, one-half to 
three-quarters of each shoot may be cut. So great 
is the advantage of thus rendering the top lighter, 
that no person who has once given it a fair trial, 
can easily be induced ever to omit it, 
2. A second very essential requisite, is to keep 
the roots moist while out of the ground. For this 
reason it is very useful to plunge them in a bed of 
soft mud, made on purpose, which coats over the 
stoats and preserves the moisture for a long time on 
their surface, until they can be again set in earth, 
or packed in wet moss for sending long distan¬ 
ces. Trees received from a nursery should al¬ 
ways be immediately buried at the roots in mellow 
soil, so that one by one can be taken out fresh and 
moist as wanted. 
Careless operators often take up trees and suffer 
them to remain more or less dried for whole days 
together; all the smaller fibres are thus killed, and 
the erroneous notion has hence arisen, that the 
smaller fibres are of no value. 
3. A third requisite is to replace the earth com¬ 
pactly among the roots, leaving no interstices. If 
the earth is hastily and carelessly thrown in, vacan¬ 
cies will be left beneath the tree, which will cause 
great injury, if not death. To do the work well, 
the earth must be fine, and gradually sifted in from 
the shovel, spreading out all the roots with the fin- 
gers as the work proceeds. Dashing in a few quarts 
of water before the hole is filled, settles the earth 
well against all the roots, the surrounding earth 
soon absorbing the superabundant moisture, and 
leaving the tree firm. This close contact of soil, it 
will be observed, is assisted by the mudding of the 
roots, already described. 
There are several other points of minor import¬ 
ance, or occasionally very necessary, as paring off 
all bruised parts of the roots before re-setting; sta¬ 
king up the stem or throwing a bank of earth up 
around it, to prevent shaking about by the wind; 
avoiding a water-soaked soil,- planting no deeper 
than the tree stood before,—or even placing the 
tree on the surface, and embanking upon it, if the 
soil be wet; and keeping the stem and branches 
moist, but not watering the roots, if the tree is too 
much dried, till the leaves appear. 
The subsequent success and vigorous growth of the 
tree, depend on three requisites . 1 . First and most 
important, is a fertile soil. This may be secured 
for the tree while young, by digging large holes, 
and filling them (except in immediate contact with 
the roots) with very rich soil, or with short manure 
well mixed with soil. Young apple trees, as large 
as a riding stick, with holes seven feet in diameter 
thus filled, have borne a bushel of fruit each the 
fifth summer . By the time the roots have run be¬ 
tween these holes, the rest of the ground may have 
been enriched and deepened by manuring and plow¬ 
ing. 2. A second requisite, scarcely less essential, 
and indeed often more so with peach and some other 
trees, is to keep the soil mellow and clean at all 
times of the season. Even a crop of potatoes or 
ruta bagas lessen the growth of the trees, although 
immeasurably less so than sown crops or grass. 3. 
A third requisite is mulching during dry seasons. 
This consists merely in covering the ground 6 inches 
thick with litter, leaves, or similar substances, for 
several feet each way round the tree, during the hot 
and dry part of the year. It obviates watering, 
and assists to an almost incredible degree, the 
growth of the tree 
Street Shade Trees. 
We would briefly remind those who can feel the 
difference between bare lines of buildings, and dry, 
glaring, and dusty streets, on the one hand,—and 
the softness, luxuriance, the interminable beauty of 
masses of green foliage, and the refreshing shade 
of our finest forest trees planted in villages and by 
road-sides, on the other,—we would remind these 
that the time has now come for action—no delay 
must be made, if another whole year is too valuable 
to Be lo&t. 
