324 SEEDING AND PLANTING 



the soil is loose and free from obstructions 1-year coniferous seed- 

 lings can be pricked out very rapidly. 



Hacker's pricking-out machine differs from the apparatus pre- 

 viously described in that a 2-wheeled frame carrying an iron 

 rake of the same width as the bed is substituted for the trans- 

 planting rakes. In operating the machine it is placed crosswise 

 of the bed with a wheel in the path at either side. The operator 

 sits on a raised seat between the wheels facing the portion of the 

 bed that is being planted. By means of. his hands he manipulates 

 the iron rake which is in a movable frame controlled by the feet. 

 The rake is thrust into the soil and pulled forward, opening up a 

 V-shaped trench. The transplanting frame is brought over the 

 trench and the roots of the trees suspended against the vertical 

 wall. A backward movement of the rake closes the trench, after 

 which another trench is made and the operation continued until 

 the entire bed is pricked out. The bed is gone over later and, 

 where necessary, plants righted and the soil firmed about the roots. 



One man working the machine and three men or women han- 

 dling the frames and stringing the plants can transplant from 

 30,000 to 40,000 plants per day on well-prepared soil. The original 

 machine has been improved and is extensively used in many 

 forest nurseries in Europe. 1 It has not been introduced into the 

 United States. 



53. The Cultivation of Transplant Beds. Broadleaved trans- 

 plants in wide-spaced rows are usually kept free of weeds and 

 the soil in acceptable tilth with the ordinary cultivators used 

 in tending farm crops. Coniferous transplants and broadleaved 

 species in closely spaced rows are kept in acceptable tilth by 

 hoeing or by using the Planet Jr. or other hand cultivators. 

 Cultivation should begin a few days after the trees are trans- 

 planted and should be repeated as often as necessary to keep the 

 beds free from weeds and the surface soil loose and in good tilth. 

 It is good practice to cultivate the beds as soon as practicable 

 after each rain in order to loosen the surface soil and conserve the 

 moisture. The cultivation of transplants during the first season 

 costs from 25 cents to $1 per thousand plants depending upon the 

 character of the stock and the. soil. Transplant beds seldom re- 

 quire shading in summer or mulching in winter. 



1 Hacker, R.: Ein maschine zum Uberschulen junger Nadleholzpflanzen. 

 (Centralblatt f. d. gesamte Forstwesen, S. 433. 1883.) 



