AN UNUSUAL TRANSPORTATION TASK.
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A"Olc(I-ST tropical and semi-tropical plants that have been cultivated for decorative and other purposes, various species of palms which flourish in equable -climes are probably the most difficult to transplant. In the course of transplanting, palms must be handled with every care, and they will not stand the removal of any great amount of earth from their roots; disregard of this factor may result in the inability of the plant to become acclimatized in new surroundings.
The municipal authorities of Alhambra, California, were recently faced with the problem of transporting a number of rare old palms of a dwarf species. These palms possessed an intimate association with the.. early history and growth of the city; bat, in view of business extensions, it was found necessary to remove them from the original. site in which they had been planted.
Various plans were considered, and it was finally decided to transfer the palms to the city park, but the best method by -which this task could be effected caused. some concern. Several florists in a big way and those who tackled such jobs as tree removing were consulted, but they declined to •undertake the wOrk owing to the fact that it was feared the palms would be killed in the course of removal.
A new channel of inquiry was made, land finally the owner of a Chain-track type tractor who made a speciality of heavy haulage work consented to attempt the job, which he thought could be carried out successfully if the movement and jolting of the palms were reduced to a minimum.
He secured the .contract for the work and built a very low sledge, of the type which is shown in our picture, for the C30
purpose of accommodating the palms. After each palm had been dug about its roots, Leaving a large portion of the original earth clinging to them, the sledge was lowered into the pit and gradually worked under' the bole of each palm. The earth was then dug away so as to form. a sort of ramp out of the pit. The tractor was then 'attached to the sledge, and in this manner the palms were hauled oat in a vertical position. The sledge was then drawn carefully through the streets at a slaw rate of speed to the site in the park where. the palms were to be replanted, The pits for receiving the palms had already
been dug, and it was a simple matter to replant them.
It is now a number of weeks since the operations were carried out, and, se far, the plants have shown no ill-effects from their journey. They appear to have taken root, and there is every indication that they will flourish on their new site. The fact that the transplant-. ins operation has proved successful is believed to be due entirely to the method by which it was accomplished, and Ghat, had it been impossible to keep the plants in the vertical position, the operations might not have been anything like so successful.