174 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



upright back is formed on the side away from the prevailing 

 wind, and on withdrawing the spade a sufficiently deep crevice is 

 opened to insert comfortably the roots of the trees straight down. 

 The planter — holding the young tree in one hand, with its root- 

 collar on a line with the ground-surface — presses the most 

 pulverised soil available against the roots, and by applying foot- 

 pressure makes the young trees perfectly firm and more able to 

 withstand the injurious effects of high winds. 



" At each plantation this class of planting is carried on by 

 day-labour, at an average cost of los. 5d. per looo, each man 

 being able to plant from 700 to 800 daily without undue exertion. 

 At Conical Hills Plantation, where rough steep hillsides are 

 being afforested, over a million trees were planted by contract 

 last season under this system at 12s. 6d. per 1000. Specially 

 careful supervision is essential during the progress of any 

 contract work, although the result of the experiment justifies 

 its repetition. 



" Spade-pit planting has been principally carried on at Otago 

 Central and Hanmer Springs Plantations, and at the latter 

 station the prisoners employed ofttimes make excellent planting 

 tallies, which, under fair conditions, not infrequently reach 800 

 per man daily. 



" It invariably happens, in operating over large areas of 

 ground, that small portions of a light or stony nature are 

 encountered. The 'notching' or 'bar-planting' methods, which 

 are the cheapest forms of planting recognised by officers, are then 

 frequently introduced with advantage. A planting-bar, which is 

 about 5 ft. in length, weighs 8^ lbs. The handle is made of 

 I in. gas-piping, to which is welded a wedge-shaped steel-pointed 

 foot ID ins. long and 4 ins. across the top, tapering to 2 ins. at 

 the extremity. In manipulating the bar on scuffled spots 

 prepared, the operator, by two or three driving movements, 

 forces the tool into the ground some 9 ins. deep, and by working 

 the handle backwards and forwards a crevice is formed, into 

 which the young plant is thrust. The opening is then closed by 

 again driving the bar into the ground a couple of inches distant, 

 and prizing the soil towards the plant. In computing the average 

 cost of dealing with trees by this or the similar spade-notching — 

 about 8s. 6d. per 1000 — allowance must be made for the rough 

 nature of the surface generally associated with dibbling and 

 notching work. Failures in transplanting by bar are often 



