Some Aspects of European Forestry. 493 



the hole whereon the plant may sit and the lateral roots spread 

 in all directions. Assured that all the lateral and other roots of 

 the plant are in their normal positions, the planter with his right 

 hand quickly fills in the earth piled convenient to his hand, until 

 the surface of the hole is level with that of the surrounding area. 

 The plant should then stand at the same depth as when in the 

 nursery; should it be too deep it can be gently eased upward; if 

 too shallow the planting has to be done over again. As a guide 

 to determining the correct depth, new 'hands' are given a "plant- 

 ing stick" — a straight piece of lath some two feet in length which 

 is laid across the hole to mark the level of the surrounding ground. 



Convinced that the plant is set in correctly, the planter firms 

 the earth of the planting hole by a light pressure of his flattened 

 palms — and the planting is completed. The whole process takes 

 much longer to describe than to do; it is free from any of the 

 dilettante fussiness which characterizes some of the other sys- 

 tems. The cost of such planting averages about $6.40 per acre. 



No pains are taken to remove all small stones mixed in with 

 the dirt but care is given to having an ample supply of suitable 

 earth, even at the expense of bringing it from near-by areas. 

 However, the admixture of any loose bits of weeds or grass is 

 most scrupulously avoided because, despite the beneficial efifects 

 of this material when it decays, the very process of decay de- 

 mands an amount of water which the plant, especially on dry 

 soils, can ill afford to spare. 



Oberforster Konjas. in 1887, proved this conclusively by the 

 following experiment. Under exactly similar conditions he 

 planted 4 year old transplants of spruce (2-2 stock) some with 

 pure mineral dirt and some with loose bits of grass and weeds 

 mixed in the earth. Up to June no difference was detectable but 

 after 6-8 days of drought the latter plants began to drop, many 

 died in the following week, whereas of the former plants scarcely 

 any showed ill effects. An investigation of the planting holes 

 showed that the bits of grass and weeds were damp with mois- 

 ture robbed from the thirsting roots of the plants. 



Planting in furrows made about five feet apart is also practiced 

 on favorable sites where it is markedly cheaper than the method 

 just described. In a favorable instance the plowing cost only 40 

 to 50 cents per acre. The method of planting is the same as 

 that alreadv described. 



