150 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of stakes is establislied entirely aromul tlie field, and near enough to 

 the border of the field to avoid the location of any i-ow of trees, the 

 stakes being placed at intervals corresponding to the distance the trees 

 are to be planted apart. These stakes should be painted or whitewashed 

 at the top to make them conspicuous and easily seen at considerable dis- 

 tances. Then an intermediate row of stakes should be established across 

 the field in each direction. These stakes being put exactly in line with 

 the corresponding stakes on opposite sides of the field and again avoid 

 the location of any row of trees. If the field is at all rolling, or if 

 for any reason the planters cannot see entirely across the field, more 

 intermediate lines will be needed. None of these lines of stakes need 

 be exactly straight, but it is essential that the stakes be set perpendicu- 

 lar. With the stakes thus placed, the proper location of any tree in the 

 field can be easily found, thus the hole-digger may use his shovel handle 

 as a temporar^^ stake and align it with two stakes in each of the two 

 directions at right angles. The location of the handle indicates the 

 center of the hole. In planting, the tree should be used as a temporary 

 stake and aligned with two stakes in each of two directions at right 

 angles. In this method any number of men may plant trees in the field 

 at the same time, and the work may begin in any part of the field. 

 When the planting is completed the stakes stand as a test of the 

 thoroughness of the work done. 



In the planning and planting of the hexagonal system, this plan may 

 be used. As many stakes should be provided as there are trees to be 

 planted. A wire should be prepared of the exact length that the trees 

 are to be planted apart, and a ring or loop twisted in at each end by 

 which the operator may hold it. After the base line is established, and 

 stakes are planted along it just where each of the first row of trees will 

 stand, one person (A) "slips a finger through the ring at one end of the 

 wire and another person (B) runs a small stick through the ring at 

 the other end. (A) then puts his ring at the first stake in the base 

 line, (B) steps to where he supposes the first tree of the second row will 

 be and strikes a small segment of a circle upon the ground. Then (A) 

 goes to the second stake in the first row and holds his end of the wire 

 exactly to it. (B) describes another small segment of a circle from that 

 stake, and where these two segments cross, a stake must be driven and 

 this is the location of the first tree in the second row. Likewise these 

 two operators may find the location of each tree in the second, third, 

 fourth rows, etc., using each row in tuni as a base line. Before doing 

 any planting, the whole field should be measured and staked in the above 

 way. If the work is done carefully the trees will be found to be in 

 very straight rows in every way. 



