pulled down by a rope attached to the top, while the other guided the ladder, and rocked it a little up and down; and, at the same time, several men hung upon the opposite side of the tree, either by a rope or the branches, till their united force upset the tree with a large cake of clay bound together by the roots, five or six feet square, and perhaps fifteen inches thick, standing up like a wall, similar to what occurs when spruce or Scots fir are upset by high winds, in shallow wet-bottomed soil. We then removed the ladders, sloped the outer side of the trench where they had rested, and pared away the clay from the upset root, till we thought four horses could drag it, one or two men in the mean time sitting in the top to prevent the tree righting. After this we introduced the sledge, pushing it as far back as possible; if necessary, cutting holes to {238} admit the ends of the side-pieces of the sledge through the lower edge of the upset root; and if the tree were large, placing several wet slippery boards under the sides of the sledge, that it might be more easily drawn up the acclivity of the hole. The men hanging or sitting on the top, then let go their hold, and the tree generally righted itself, standing fair upon the sledge as it grew; if it did not do this of itself, they assisted its rising by lifting at the top. The root was then secured firmly upon the sledge with ropes, and the horses were attached, who, by pulling stoutly, dragged the sledge with its load out of the hole up the slope, and away to the prepared new situation, one man walking at each side, having hold of a rope attached to the top of the tree to guide and steady it when passing a furrow or other inequality of the road. The horses were led across the new site, and stopped when the sledge and tree were in the pit, about a foot past the berth; the ropes fixing the stool on the sledge were then untied, and, by pulling backward upon the ropes fixed to the top, the tree was upset again upon its side from off the sledge, and the sledge dragged forward. The tree was then allowed or assisted to right itself again in its proper berth, and friable earth packed well around and scattered over the stool, and a little litter spread over {239} all. The ground was then drained and trenched, excepting the part around the tree, which had been stirred in the planting. If thought necessary, a prop or two were placed to steady the tree during the winter, as it might otherwise work a little back and forward with the wind while the clay was moist and soft. After the earth had dried in the spring, the props were removed.