PLANTING. 



119 



on a level with the surface of the soil, except in dry 

 localities, when it may be somewhat lower, so as to 

 collect an extra supply of water near the plant. The 

 interval between the ball and the walls of the pit must 

 be carefully filled up, either with earth, compost, turf 

 ashes, or by pressing the soil down until the interval 

 completely disappears. 

 On dry soil it is desir- 

 able to place two pieces 

 of turf over the ball and 

 the adjoining soil, so as 

 to prevent evaporation 

 and shrinking. 



Value of Method. This 

 depends in the first place 

 on the extent to which 

 the root-system is con- 

 tained in the ball. If, 

 during the act of lifting 

 the ball, considerable 

 quantities of the finer roots have been severed (Fig. 52), 

 the results may be disappointing. Hence young ball plants 

 do better, comparatively speaking, than older and larger 

 plants. 



Secondly, a thorough touch between the ball and the 

 walls of the pit is essential to success ; it follows that 

 ball plantings are better adapted to loose than to stiff 

 soils ; the latter as well as the ball shrink during dry 

 weather, so that frequently the ball becomes completely 

 separated and the plant dries up. 



On the whole, however, the method is one of the 

 safest, and is specially recommended for loose soils, 



Good. 



