Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-05-20
Farmers Department.
rranspianting-why, and How,


which many of the plants in the ktchen
and flower garden viii be trnnsplan'ed
that is, removed from the place IN winch
they are to perfect themselves. As moth
inp Of this kind happens to plants in their
wild state, il Ray be asked If this is not
an unnatural operation. To this it may
ne repled, that all cultivation is in o
measure unnatural it consists in giving
the plant those advantages which it can
only enjoy under the care of man. we
take advantage Of certain capabilities anu
tendencies of plants, and direct them to
serve our own purposes. When we dam
a natural stream and make an artificial
pond, we alter the course Of nature, but
In order to do il successfully, we must
work in strict accordance with natural
laws. So in cultivation I'VE induce plant
10 grow differently from what il would it
wild, but in doing this we follow The laws
which govern its growth in the natural
state. We do not oppose, we only direct
The leaves and roots of plant bear dl.
rect: The leaves and roots Of o plant
bear direct relation to one another if from
auy natural or artificial cause the root
growth is cramped or checked, the leaf
growth is oorrespondingly diminished, and
the plant shows a greater tendency to pro-
duce flowers aud fruit. Tomatoes in pots
will show blossoms when only few inch.
aes high, while if fsown in the open ground
they will make quite large plants before
they show any signs Of Towering. Now
Transplanting, no matter how carefully
it may be done, by breaking off the min
ute root fbres has tendency to hasten
the maturity Of the plant. 1t does this in
less striking manner, it is true, than
when the plant is grown in pot, but 1t
greatly modifes its development, and
flower and fruit are borne much earlier.
This tendency to early maturity is some
times increased by two removals the
plants are taken from the seed bed and
orricked out" as it is called, into another
bed, from which they are enally removed
to the place where they are to mature
Each removal breaks off and shorteus some
of the branches of the root and, after the
first shock is over new small fbres or feed
ers are thrown out which, from their in
creased number, enable the plant to grow
with much greater vigor than before, and
mature much earlier than it would have
if left to grow where. the seeds were sowD
Sometimes there is an advantage in clip.
ping the long or top root in order to in
duce the formation of fbrous roots. As
The functions of the roots are disturbed in
transplautipg, it follows that tho relation
between their absorbing surface aud the
evaporating surface otthe leaves is broken
up; the plant gives off moisture by the
leaves more rapidly than it is received by
the root, and the plant willis. This indi
Gates that moist atmosphere is the most
suitable time for the operation ,-as sdrizzly
SPELL" when the soil is not to wet. 1t
frequently happens that the plants are
getting large, and there is no prospect Of
damp season. Transplantipg can be
done, with proper precautions, at any
time. For several years past we have been
accustomed to work without regard to the
weather, and have been uniformly success.
full. If the holes are we'll watered and
the plants are shaded for q day or two,
they rarely fail to do well. The shading
is easily done with handful OF cut grass,
a burdock or other broad leaf, or q shingle
stuck in position toward off the sun dur.
ing the hottest part of the day. @Where
the plants are few and stand thinly in the
ssed bed, each may be carefully lifted by
the trowel 80 as to retain ball of earth
around the roots, and removed with com.
paratively little disturbance but where
there is large garden this particular care
cannot be exercised-all the operations
must be carried on in Wholesale way
they should be carefully lifted from the
seed BED, separated and "grouted.' Grout
ing consists in coating the roots with thir
mud, protects the delicate fbres from dry
ing, and should always be done where III,
plants are to remain for sometime out o
the ground. The directions for grousin,
plants cannot be better given than b,
quoting from Watson's American Hom
Garden, which by the way is one of th
most reliable and practical works eve
published in this country. price 81 90
"Grouting is performed by mixing rich
COW dung may be added, with water, t,
the consissence cfsoft mud, and dabblin
the roots of the plants in it, not by thrust