AN IMPROVED TRANSPLANTING LATH. l6l 



of a convenient height, the face-board now being in a horizontal 

 position. A plant is placed between the button and its stop, and 

 the button closed by a touch of the finger. This operation 

 can be performed very quickly, and any size or shape or species 

 of plant can be instantly, firmly, and yet gently locked in position, 

 and no amount of wind or jarring can in any way displace it. 



The laths when filled are placed in position over the open 

 trench, which latter must be of sufficient depth to enable the 

 roots to hang vertically and clear of the bottom. Any defect 

 either in the shape of the trench or the position of the plant 

 can now be instantly detected, as the whole of the plant is 

 clearly visible. The soil removed in opening the trench is then 

 replaced and lightly trodden, the lever moved (when all the 

 plants are freely released) and the lath taken to be refilled. 



The laths are made in lengths of 8 to lo feet, and the buttons 

 arranged to hold the plants at intervals of 2^ inches or sixteen 

 plants to the linear yard, but any division can be made. 



Besides the obvious advantage of obtaining a good root- 

 system, this new lath has the following advantages : — 



1. The number of plants that can be transplanted is more 

 than double that which can be done by the hand system. 



2. The plants are in no way damaged by the lath, neither 

 have they to be of a uniform shape or size. 



3. Transplanting is not in any way dependent upon weather 

 conditions, wind, etc., as sometimes is the case with other types 

 of lath. 



VOL. XXXI. PART II. 



