PLANTING. 



121 



ashes, &c., may be given ; it is placed around the roots. 

 After the operation has been completed, the surface 

 around the plant may be covered with turf, moss, or 

 stones to assist in the preservation of moisture. In dry 

 localities the pit may be made somewhat deeper and not 

 altogether filled up, so as to collect water round the 

 plant. 



Of special use during the operation is a small one- 



Fig. 53. 



Fig. 54, 



hand hoe (Fig. 53), which is used to break up the soil 

 and to scrape it together and on to the plant. 



With a view of facilitating the operation, the pit is 

 sometimes given a perpendicular wall on one side against 

 which the plant is held (Fig. 54) while the soil is placed 

 round the root-system ; it has this disadvantage, that 

 the root-system is pushed somewhat to one side. 



The operation as above described requires two persons, 

 best a man and a boy ; the latter holds the plant, whilst 

 the former fills in the earth. To obviate the employment 

 of a second person, an arrangement, as indicated in 

 Fig. 55, has been recommended for use in planting out 

 large plants. It consists of an iron rod fixed in the 

 ground near the planting pit and bent at right angle 



