32 HORTICULTURE BY IRRIGATION. 



out. Red yarn sewed through and tied around the cord would be more 

 visible than pins ; but the latter are quickly found if the workman 

 measures the distance by pacing between them as he walks from one to 

 the other. A new cord will stretch a little at first, but will soon cease to do 

 so. The easiest way to mark the spaces on the cord is to wrap it around 

 the ends of a board cut at the right length, SD that every third coil will 

 be a place for a pin. Thus, if the board is five feet long, by marking 

 every third coil at the end of the board, we obtain spaces of thirty feet. 

 The field having been plowed and fitted for planting, we are now ready 

 for operation. Select a still day, so that the wind will not blow the cord 

 out of place, and then stretch the line along one side of the field, at a suit- 

 able distance from the fence where the first row is to be made. Make 

 it as straight as possible, by drawing on it forcibly ; a stout cord is better 

 than a weak one on this account. If the land is tolerably level, twenty or 

 thirty rods may be measured off at a time. Place flat stones or other 

 heavy weights upon it at intervals, to keep it in position ; if there is some 

 wind, care will be necessary in making it perfectly straight before thus 

 fixing it. Next, drive in oae of the short pegs or sticks at each point 

 marked by the pin already described. When this is done, one row will 

 be marked, then remove the line, and mark each end of the field at right 

 angles to this in the same way. Lastly, mark the remaining side. Before 

 marking both ends, it is safest to stretch the line on the fourth side, that 

 all may be perfectly spaced. Next, to fill up this hollow square with the 

 proper marks, stretch the line successively between corresponding sticks 

 on the opposite sides, and mark as before till the whole is completed. If 

 the work has been carefully done, every stake will be found to range per- 

 fectly. Every cord will stretch more or less, but if stretched so that the 

 ends will come even each time, which is attended with no difficulty, the 

 rows will be perfect. 



" Next, take a strip of board, say about eight feet long and six inches 

 wide, and cut a notch in one side at the middle, just large enough to let in 

 the stem of a tree. Bore a hole through each end, exactly at equal dis- 

 tances from this notch. Then, whenever a tree is to be planted, place the 

 middle notch around the peg, and thrust two other pegs through the holes 

 at the ends. Then take up the board, leaving these two pegs, dig the 

 hole, replace the board, and set the tree in the notch. Proceed in this 

 way till the whole orchard is planted. It is obvious that the trees will 

 stand precisely where the first pegs were placed, and will range in perfect 



