432 SEEDING AND PLANTING 



in planting operations. Care should be taken to keep the roots 

 well covered with moss as the trees are removed one at a time 

 for planting. More durable baskets made to order from metal 

 are used in District 4, U. S. Forest Service. 



Spitzenberg 1 has designed a plant box for carrying small plants 

 in field planting. The handle is made to swing back on a hinge 

 in order to be out of the way in filling the box with plants. 

 Pieces of heavy cloth attached to the sides are arranged to swing 

 over the top and protect the roots from wind and sun. The box 

 is shallow with sloping ends to permit the easy removal of the 

 stock as required for planting. The inside dimensions are ap- 

 proximately as follows: height, 4 inches, breadth 12 inches, and 

 length at top 20 inches reduced to 16^ inches at the bottom due 

 to the sloping sides. The author has used this box but does not 

 find it superior to the pail or basket. 



Various kinds of bags constructed from heavy canvas or water- 

 proof material are often used for carrying small stock in planting 

 operations. A canvas bag 12 inches high and approximately 12 

 inches in diameter with a heavy strap handle has replaced the 

 pail and basket on some of the National Forests. This bag holds 

 from 500 to 2000 coniferous plants of the size ordinarily used in 

 planting. Damp moss is placed in the bottom of the bag and the 

 plants placed in an upright position on the moss. The advantages 

 claimed for the bag over the pail and basket are its lightness and 

 the ease of handling. A smaller bag arranged for attaching 

 directly to the belt of the planter has met with increasing use in 

 recent years. It is usually provided with a shoulder strap for sup- 

 port and a clasp that holds it firmly to the belt on the left side 

 and out of the way of the free movement of the arms in planting. 



The latter form of bag is provided with a waterproof lining so 

 that the roots of the stock can be kept moist without wetting the 

 planter. It holds between 1400 and 1500 yellow pine seedlings 

 (2-0) or between 500 and 600 yellow pine transplants (1-2). 



18. Special Planting Methods 



Every practitioner must fully appreciate that the method to 

 pursue in planting is the one that gives the best results at the 

 least cost. He must fully appreciate that all methods that have 



1 Spitzenberg, G. K.: Die Spitzenberg'schen Kulturgerathe. 2. Aufl., S. 

 90. Berlin, 1898. 



