PLANTING. 133 



ceive the roots of the plant without diffi- 

 culty. The boy then having the stem of 

 the plant in his hand, the top inside of the 

 arm, and standing opposite, smacks the root 

 upon the plate of the spade, draws it -gently 

 into the gash ; the spade is eased upwards 

 until the plant become upright, and then 

 is drawn out; the boy holds the stem in 

 that position, and treads the turf close 

 down. 



Some, before treading down the turf, chop 

 it, all round the stem of the plant. This is 

 an error. It is done with the idea of keep- 

 ing the slit from opening in dry weather, by 

 which the roots are parched. But they 

 are much more so by the opening of many 

 slits than one. This objection, in fact, is 

 sufficient to do away the practice of slit- 

 ting. 



It is imprudent to perform the operation 

 of slitting if the turf be not in a moist state ; 

 as otherwise, it cannot be so well closed 

 down. On all steeps, the plants should be 

 placed towards the declivity, that the mois- 

 ture may fall to its roots. That is to say, 



