As the season of the year so favorable to the transplanting of trees is drawing near, a few pratical hints derived from experimental theory may not be without profit to the interested. We frequently have the inquiry made of us by our friends, "How do you transplant a tree to make it live?" Now, in the first place, it is very easy indeed to make a tree live, if you understand how to do it. Many persons imagine that there is but little difference between planting a tree or a stake, until they are taught two or three lessons of disappointment. A case in point will show the necessity of a knowledge of the work to be indispensable, to insure .complete success. A farmer, not more than thirty miles from Boston, had an orchard to plant out with trees, and, wishing to have them live and thrive well, he employed the services "of an experienced gardener to transplant his trees.

Very well: the gardener set out on the first day eight or ten trees only out of the one hundred to be planted. The owner of the trees was sadly disappointed at nightfall in finding " but ten trees out of the lot set out," and more so at the price asked by the gardener (two dollars per day) for his work. He "paid him off" and concluded he and Jonathan, his hired man, would set out the rest. He did so, and mark the result. Ten years afterward the same man was at work in the same field, when a gentleman riding past stopped to examine the trees. After attentively looking at them for a few moments, he asked of the owner why he did not plant out his whole field at the time he did the row of trees at the wall, all the others in the orchard being of a small, dwarfish appearance. His answer was, "They were all planted at the same time; but I hired a gardener to plant out these ten, which are so large, and the rest I put out myself, because I thought he was too slow, and charged too much; but if I had given him two dollars a day for ten days, I should have richly received the benefit, for of these ten trees any one of them would have more than repaid the whole expense." The looker-on smiled as he observed, "I am the gardener who set them out for you, and I thought you would find, sooner or later, that it required more knowledge to plant out an apple-tree than it did to set out a post".

The following simple rules have been successfully followed by myself for quite a number of years, and I think can be adhered to with a good degree of certainty as to favorable results.

First, the hole destined to receive the tree should be made (for a small tree, say from one inch to one-half inch diameter) three feet in diameter, or sufficiently broad in all cases to receive, without cramming or bending, all the rootlets of the tree. Next, place the tree in the same position as when removed, but not too deep. Many inexperienced persons lose their trees from too deep setting. A tree when transplanted should set no lower in the earth than it did in its original position before removed. If any of the branches or roots are bruised or lacerated, pare them smoothly, or shorten them with a sharp knife. Use good compost as a manure in setting out, and fill in the finely pulverized mould closely about the roots. To make sure there is no hollow about the roots, it is best to use the hand to introduce the fine earth round the small " fibre roots," gently shaking the tree until it becomes quite firm of itself. Any neglect at this stage of the transplanting is an error which will be sure to be seen in the after growth of the tree.

As a general thing, I have not used water in transplanting trees, and do not recommend its use except when setting out a large tree; then I use water, say one pailful, when the tree is partly set out or the hole a little more than half filled with earth. I wait until the water has " dried in " or become absorbed, before filling the hole up, but never make a "mud pudding" by throwing in the earth immediately after the water.

In small-sized trees I prefer muck, litter, or short sedge, as a retainer of moisture, to quantities of water. I have found, by experience, that too frequent watering applied to the surface tends to harden or bake the earth, and proves, injurious to the tree. In frosty locations, if you fear a lifting of the tree, a small mound raised in the fall around the stem of the tree will remedy this evil. Remember to remove the same in the spring. In very rocky locations, it is best to dig out,' say one or two cart-loads of the soil, and remove it, filling its place with rich garden mould; and our word for it, you will be the gainer thereby. By attending carefully to the above general hints, you can have not only a pleasant shade tree, but a profitable bearer; and if so, you will bo of our mind, so far as fruit trees are concerned, that when the tree is transplanted well " it is done, if well done;" if not, why you will soon find it out.

[In our friend "Quill" we welcome back to the Horticulturist one who often wrote for it in the time of Mr. Downing. His articles, as indicated by the title, will be entirely practical, and correspondingly valuable. - Ed].