TRANSPLANTING.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1036, 8 June 1894, Page 3

TRANSPLANTING.

Directions for transplanting need to be often repeated. It is not merely because young and experienced planters are going into this business every year. Those who have been often told what to do, frequently forget or are careless. They need line upon line, and after all many neglect the simplest precautions, through not thinking what they are doing. For one who has even a slight knowledge of trees and plants, stopping to think while he is working will give better results than the most carefully prepared rules without thought concerning them. It is a great change for tree or plant to be moved from where it has grown to some other place. With trees especially that have grown two, three or four years in the nursery row, it will be found that widespread ing roots have formed, of which only a small part can be secured in digging up. But if the cultivation in the nursery has been thorough and deep, there will be many small, fine roots near the body of the tree. It is a common though mistaken idea that the trees from a neglected nursery, if of equal size are just as good as from one that has been thoroughly cultivated. They are not. Height and size of trees alone show little as to their value for planting. Tbe experienced nurseryman buying a block of trees is careful to learn of their previous management. If the spaces between the rows are filled with grass and large wepds, he knows that cultivation has been neglected and the trees are in poor shape for transplanting. When a tree is dug up its top needs cutting back, not only proportionally to the loss of roots, but much more. If every particle of root could be secured the top would still need trimming down to a few buds. What is wanted is a strong vigorous growth. Each bud should make a branch, though if all are left there will be only sap enough to develop them into twigs. It is from having an excessive proportion of top to roots that some old trees are occasionally forced into premature bearinsr the year after transplanting. We have known men to boast that they get fruit from trees the year or year after they were set out ; but such boasting only shows how littlp. the boaster understands what he is doing. More commonly the tree thus treated dies instead of beginning to bear. If it does not die its vitality is weakened, so that it does not recover for years, if it ever does. If the root has been exposed to the air for even & few minutes it also will neod shortening back just before setting out. It always needs such cutting back if mutilated in digging. From a clean, fresh cut new roots will soon start, as they do from a base of fresh cutting. In contact with earth, and sand is still better, a sap exudes from the root out of which fine, white thread-like rootlets start, soon growing in thickness and length as they begin to gather plant food from the soil. This takes some time, and for this reason it is better for late transplanting that trees shall be taken up and heeled in, as it is called, some time before. This enables the root to make ready for starting rootlets as soon as the bud begins to grow. But the putting of a few strong buds on the tree for sap will start the roots to growing better than anything else. There is not nearly so strong a • pull ' from a multitude of half-starved buds as there is from a few that are vigorous. With newly planted trees it is best to let only three or four buds grow the first year ; with grape vines only one,which should be cut back to three or four buds, and only two of these be allowed to grow the second year. In setting trees or plants it is not possible to give too much care in compacting fine soil among, under and on all sides of the roots. It is impossible to do this as perfectly as it was done in growing the roots when they pushed into and through the soil. If the roots are matted put fins soil among them, puddle it; with water, and add more soil until all- the spaces are filled. Watered thus and the surface covered with fine, dry soil, the roots will keep moist until new rootlets are formed. This is much better than the common practice of filling in with soil and then pouring a half pailful or more of water in the holes among the roots. It is easy to wash away loose soil, leaving the roots with an open space all around them. Trees often die from this cause, or worse still, linger along for years and never become vigorous and productive. In setting out vegetables the same precautions must be taken as with the trees, with however, such variations as the different circumstances may suggest. The foots should be shortened in witi* a sharp knife just before setting,

AH the outside leaves of cabbage and celery should be stripped off. If the germ is left, new and vigorous leaves ,will soon form from that. Reducing the leaves is ir.ore important than shading from the sun,?though in a hot day after planting in the morning a broad loaf ovor the newly set plant will be a great help:-* :-If. the .. transplanting of vetegaMes is done towards night, and the outside leaves arc stripped off, as they should be, rootlets would form before. mbrning,so that the plant would scarcely require further ■ protection. The root, will start, into growing more, quickly, it thejeaf is reduced so that it will not wither. The wilting of leaves,, once begun, retards the root growth and makes the recovery of the plant much slower and more uncertain.