AMERICAN SYLVICULTURE 



refrigerators) is recommended. One man's work at hole digging 

 per day is 300 to 3,000 according to root-size and conditions of soil. 



C. The seedling must stand, after planting: 



I. Firmly, the dirt being tightly packed around its roots, so that 

 it cannot be shaken and so that the roots may establish their 

 sucking contacts. 



II. Naturally, the roots retaining the same manner of spreading 

 and ramifying which they had in the nursery. 



III. Erect and just as deep as it stood in the nursery (excep- 

 tion: barren sand). 



Paragraph XXIV. Special methods and tools 

 used for planting seedlings. 



A. Biermans spiral spade, costing $2.00, is pointed para- 

 bolically, the blade being TVa inches long and 5 inches wide. When 

 used boringly, this spade forms a parabolic hole and loosens the 



:soil. With the left hand the seedling is pressed against the side of 

 the hole, while the right hand places some sod ashes (See Par. 

 XXIX, D. VI.) immediately over the fine root fibres. Then the best 

 part of the soil is used to fill the near half of the hole, and the 

 j)00rest for filling the far half. The instrument is adapted to hard- 

 ened soil. On wet and binding soil, the dirt clogs in the curves of 

 the spade. Capacity per hand per day in Germany 320 plants. 



B. The Planting Dagger is used for Yellow Pine seedlings 

 one or two years old, to be planted on sandy soil. The dagger is 

 three inches longer than the longest root. It is made of wood, iron 

 :shod at the point. It makes a narrow, funnel-shaped hole, which is 

 -closed by pressure from another hole made a few inches from the 



first. On loose, sandy soil it is wise to plant Yellow Pine seedlings 

 deeply — up to first needles — since \ellow Pine is not aflfected, in 

 that soil, by deep planting. Daggering is tlie cheapest possible 

 method for planting Long Leaf Pine, Jack Pine, Lodgepole Pine, etc. 

 ■Capacity 800 to 900 per day and hand. i 



C. The Bnttlar Iron, one much used for thrusting holes into 

 the soil, is now in disfavor since it causes the seedlings to be 

 inserted into holes having walls as impenetrable as those of a 

 flower-pot. Only plants one or two years old can be thus planted 

 .(" cleft planted ")- 



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