A SESSION AT THE EBERSWALDE FOREST ACADEMY. 205 
anything in the nature of abrasions to the roots or stems. They 
are lifted either by means of the spade, graip or fork, which is 
inserted deeply enough to ensure clean lifting. A spadeful of 
earth and plants is allowed to fall gently, so as to loosen the 
earth round the roots. This avoids the tearing of the tender 
rootlets, which is certain to happen when the earth is only 
loosened, and the plants pulled forcibly up. The young plants 
are then collected and put into rows of five blocks each, each 
block containing 1000 plants. The heeling-in is usually done 
in a shady part of the nursery. The rows are placed close 
together and covered with spruce branches for the preservation 
of moisture, and the plants are kept there until ready for trans- 
porting to the forest. 
When plants are sent long distances, great attention is paid 
to the packing. Young plants are packed in hampers at the 
rate of 20,000 to 40,000 plants per hamper, the price for plants 
being 1s. per 1000 for 1-year-old seedlings, and 2s. 6d. per 1000 
for 2-year-old seedlings. The plants are packed in layers, with 
their roots to the inside, and layers of moss—which reduces 
evaporation of moisture to a minimum—are placed between the 
layers of plants. The method of packing large plants, say 
5-year-old beech, is rather interesting. Long wires are placed 
on the ground, some distance apart and parallel to each other. 
Long rye or wheat straw is next laid across the wires. Straw 
bands are then placed across the straw, and lastly a layer of 
damp moss. The plants are now laid on the moss, perpendicular 
to the wires and straw bands. There are generally 120 plants 
in each consignment, and they are packed in four bundles of 30 
plants each. A layer of moss is placed between the bundles 
and over the roots. The straw bands are now tied round the 
plants, and then comes another layer of loose straw. The wires 
are first bound tightly round the bundle and fastened with pliers, 
and after being laced longitudinally the consignment is ready 
for rail. By experienced workmen the packing can be done in 
a very short time. The plants cost 5s. per roo, while the 
packing costs ro per cent. more—that is 6d. per roo plants. 
Large saplings are usually tied into convenient bundles, and 
merely have their roots protected. When small plants, such as 
I- or 2-year-old Scots pine, arrive at the forest area which is to 
be planted, they are again carefully heeled into trenches and 
protected against the sun. 
