SOWING AND PLANTING IN THE FOREST 63 



of the operation ; unfortunately sufficient care to see to this 

 is not taken in all woods. All operations should take place 

 as far as possible on damp cloudy days, but if it is absolutely 

 necessary to lift or plant on sunny days, or when a dry wind 

 is blowing, the roots of the plants should be dipped into water 

 and this should be repeated whenever it is necessary. This 

 simple precaution is easy, it costs nothing, and, if " carefully 

 carried out, it will prevent many failures. 



Plants should be lifted by two men using forks one on each 

 side, the plant being carefully drawn out when the soil is well 

 loosened. It may be lightly shaken to remove the greater 

 part of the earth, but this must not be done violently or the 

 small fibrous roots will be lost. As soon as fifty or one 

 hundred plants have been lifted, they should be tied into a 

 bundle, taking care not to bruise the bark, and this should be 

 heeled in. When sufficient bundles have been prepared they 

 should be carted to the woods, if possible in the evening after 

 the sun has set, but if moved in the daytime they should be 

 well covered over with mats or branches. On arrival they 

 should be at once heeled in, as near as possible to the ground 

 to be planted and in a shady place. If they are not likely 

 to be put out for some days it is best to open the bundles and 

 to heel in the plants in thin layers in such a way that the 

 roots are in close contact with the soil. If bundles of plants 

 are left heeled in for some time, the plants in the middle of 

 the bundle often fail, as, not being in contact with the soil, 

 the roots dry up. 



Only a few plants should be carried to each planter at a 

 time, sufficient for him to plant during the next fifteen minutes 

 or so ; if he is given a .large number he will probably lay 

 them out in the holes, and those which are to be planted last 

 may get dry before he comes to them. 



Distribution of the plants. The trees should be planted, 

 where possible, in regular lines as this facilitates weeding later 

 on, but the lines need not be marked out perfectly straight 



