PLANTING A FIG ORCHARD. 159 
be profitable even to spend a day or two, if necessary, in order to 
locate it correctly. In all measurements begin at A and measure 
toward 6b or C. Or from C measure toward D, or from B toward 
D. If this rule is not followed absolutely the trees can not be 
made to line. When at last the point D is correctly located, A—C 
should be of the same length as B—D, and A-B of the same length as 
C-D. If the trees are to be in exact squares the angles at the 
respective corners at A, B, C, and D must be right angles. In fixing 
these preliminary points it is not necessary, nor indeed of advantage, 
to set many stakes. Three or four stakes in a line will be enough. 
Next in order is to set the final stakes, one for each tree. Common 
lath is the best and easiest material to handle and procure for stakes. 
If the soil is in proper condition it is not necessary to point the laths. 
If the ground is hard and the stakes require to be driven, it may be 
necessary to sharpen the lath, but the points should be in the center 
of the lath, or as close to it as possible. Some, to save time, point 
the laths by cutting them diagonally across, but this is not proper, as 
in driving a lath thus pointed it will inevitably be shoved out of its 
place and get out of line. The sides of the points must be of equal 
length in order to insure accuracy. But in proper soil no points are 
required. Laths which are not pointed may be more readily used for 
other purposes afterwards. 
Go back to A and stretch the staking cable from A toward C, and, 
measuring from A, set a lath perpendicularly every 50 feet (or less) 
toward C. A lath will thus be set at each small cirele on the diagram. 
Similarly set laths from A to B and from B toward D and from C 
toward D. If the planting chain does not reach from A to B it will 
be necessary to set another base line of stakes between E and F, and 
possibly also between J and H. The next step is easily understood. 
By stretching the chain or cable between the opposite points and 
setting laths every 50 feet, the whole field will-be quickly staked out. 
In setting the laths two points are to be constantly remembered. 
The laths in the same row should all face the same way; all should 
be set on the same side of the cable—the side from which the cable is 
to be moved. In the accompanying diagram it will be seen that the 
field was not square, nor its sides exactly parallel. The space out- 
side of G, K,and L may be filled out, where the room admits, with 
trees. On this diagram eight outside trees are possible. This filling 
out is done by sighting, as being the simplest way. In setting the 
stakes, always set the outside end stakes first and fill in afterwards, 
as in no other way can the line be made straight without the aid of a 
good surveyor’s level. 
The laths should be driven down with a hatchet deep enough to be 
entirely solid and immovable by wind. Loosely driven laths will be 
disarranged with astonishing facility. A small opera glass or field 
glass will be of great use while driving the lath. For this operation 
