The Republic

Transplanting Trees.

The following directions for transplanting trees are from Jaques's Practical Treatise on the Management of Fruit Trees, a work recently published. In conversation with the author a short time since, he assured us that from some ten years' experience he had learned to transplant his own standard trees in the autumn in preference to the spring. He says he has found, from many carefully-conducted experiments, that except the peach (and this only when it has not been transplanted before, or reset, as the term is,) all fruit trees and all hardy ornamental trees are more certain to live and make a vigorous growth the ensuing year when they are transplanted in the autumn, say from the middle of October to the middle of November, instead of the spring—meaning, of course, trees four or more feet in height and of so many years of age; for, owing to the heaving of the frost, little trees are more safely set in the spring. The placing of the conical mound (see after-treatment below) around autumn-transplanted trees, is an almost indispensable requisite to success.

Trees of medium size, say from five to ten feet high, such as are commonly taken from the nursery to the fruit garden or orchard, are not generally set with sufficient care. There is no more false economy than that which does this work hastily and imperfectly. It were much better not to attempt this labor at all, until one has time and means wherewith to do it well.

1st. Preparation of a place for setting the Tree.—Dig a hole, avoiding the sides of old trees, five to seven feet in diameter, and fifteen to twenty inches deep, placing the sods, if in a sward-land, in one heap, the soil in another, and the sub-soil in a third. The diameter of the hole ought to be at least three times that of the clump of the tree's roots. Holes of this size, and, in deep, rich land, even smaller ones, will answer. But if the planter has patience to dig still wider, and to any depth less than three feet, he will find himself amply repaid, in the better growth and health of his trees. If holes are dug over twenty inches deep, they may be filled up to that depth with cobble-stones, old bones, or even gravel. The rest of the hole should be filled with a mixture of the soil, sub-soil, and rich, black loam, or well rotted compost manure, to the height where it is proper to place the tree. With the hand or spade shape the soil for the roots into the form of a little cone, on which to set the hollow in the centre of the clump of roots. If this is done some weeks, or even months, before setting the tree, it will be all the better.

2d. Preparing and Placing the Tree. If the ground is dry, or if the roots have been much exposed to the air since the tree was taken up, soak the lower part of the trunk in water twelve or twenty-four hours. Cut off all bruises and broken ends of roots smoothly with a knife, and shorten in the longest, so that the clump of roots may have a somewhat circular form. In cutting a root, always enter the knife upon the under side, and bring it out with a slope to the upper side, so that the fibres which may shoot out from the edges of the cut shall strike downward into the ground, instead of upward, as they would were the cut made as it commonly is. If the tree is quite large, and a considerable quantity of its roots have been lost in removing it, its branches must be shortened back, or the alternate buds thinned to restore the balance of power between the parts below and those above the ground, for reasons already explained. This being done, set the tree, and gently press it down upon the place designed for it. As there will be a tendency for the tree to settle down in its new location, the planter should aim to have it stand higher rather than lower than it stood previously to being moved, remembering that nothing is more fatal to the growth and health of a tree than to bury its roots unnaturally deep in the ground. Trees of medium and large size, set upon a very gentle elevation like a turtle's back, succeed admirably; and so, if a tree should, by accident, be set rather too high, the ground can be raised a little around it; or, if this be omitted, the roots of a tree too deeply set cannot shoot upward, except in the very offensive form of suckers.

3. Filling Up Around the Tree.—With good, rich soil, fill up under, among, around, and above the roots, straightening them out with the fingers, and placing them in a fan-like and natural position—being very cautious not to leave any, even small, hollow places among them. If the root is one-sided, make the most you can of the weaker part. At that stage of the work, if you have patience, it is an excellent plan to make a circular dam around the edge of the hole, and keep it full of water, for half an hour or more. In setting evergreens, this, by some, is deemed the most indispensable, unless the ground is quite moist. Next, put in a little more earth, pressing it around the tree with the foot. After this, throw an inch or so of loose earth, and the work is done.

Another mode of filling up around trees, called mudding in, has proved very successful. Make the circular dam around the tree first, or as soon as it is needed, then let one person sift the soil into the hole upon the roots, while another constantly pours in water, thus keeping the earth in a thin, muddy state. This operation will require considerable time, but its success is perhaps more certain than that of any other mode.

The best compost-manure for trees, where the soil is poor, is a mixture of two parts of muck or peat earth with one part of barn-yard manure, adding, if convenient, a small quantity of wood ashes or pulverized charcoal. If these have been mixed some months, or even a year or two previously to being used, the composition will be all the better. Never put raw manure in contact with the roots.

4. After Treatment.—When the tree is transplanted in the fall or winter, it is extremely advantageous to place a conical mound, consisting of from five to ten bushels of soil or compost-manure, close around the tree, to save it from being disturbed by the action of the frost. This mound should be removed in the spring. It is generally best to put a stake down, to which the tree may be tied for the first season after being set. This ought to be done before filling up the hole, in order not to bruise the roots. Large cobble-stones laid close to a tree answer quite as good a purpose.

If the tree languishes, when it commences growing, cover the ground in a circle of three or four feet around it with coarse straw or litter from the barn-yard, laying on sods or stones to keep this from being blown away. This process is called mulching. It keeps the soil moist, and in that state of equable temperature most favorable to the growth of young roots. Watering on the surface, without mulching, is almost always injurious. Feeble trees may also be benefitted, by shading them with pine boughs, &c.

If, with all this care, the tree continues still feeble, head back its top yet more severely, and water the leaves and twigs every evening with a water-pot.

If, having followed all the above directions, the planter still finds his tree standing season after season, neither growing nor fruiting, but only existing, let him consult his true interest, by transferring it to the wood-pile. Why cumbereth it the ground?