PLANTING, 127 



mix his portion ; nor is his attention diverted 

 from the main object, that of planting well. 



This practice of mine has been objected 

 t<?, on account that the roots of the plants 

 are exposed to the air by being laid singly 

 on the ground, perhaps more than if carried 

 in the hand or lap in quantity, The ob- 

 jection falls to the ground when it is con- 

 sidered, that they are no sooner laid down 

 than planted. If otherwise, the practice is 

 not mine. For my method is this : the 

 Diiver traverses the ground, which is previ- 

 ously divided into convenient portions, from 

 side to side before the planters, and at a dis- 

 tance of never more than three or four yards. 



Now supposing each planter to take on 

 a breadth of eight yards ', and that the trees 

 are set at a yard apart, it can never happen 

 that more than thirty plants lie before him 

 implanted at a time ; and supposing he and 

 liis boy plant fifteen hundred in ten hours, it 

 cannot happen that any one plant lies more 

 than ten minutes exposed to the air, and 

 consequently cannot be much injured. 

 Whereas, by the common practice of carry- 

 ing a bundle under the arm, it often hap- 



