290 TRANSPLANTING AND PLANTING. 



Planting in Drills. The drill is drawn with a draw-hoe, and large 

 seeds, such as beans, or sets such as cuttings of the potato, are placed 

 along the bottom at regular distances, pressing them against the soil, 

 and drawing the soil over them with the hoe. Root-stocks such as 

 those of the asparagus, and root-cuttings such as those of the sea-kale 

 and horse-radish, are sometimes planted in this manner. 



Laying in by the heels is a temporary mode of planting, in which a 

 notch or trench is made in the soil, sufficiently deep to cover the roots 

 of the plants which are to be laid in it, but not their tops. An opening 

 or trench is made, as if the land were to be dug, and the roots of the 

 plants are laid in the furrow, with their tops standing out in a sloping 

 direction ; after which the digging is continued till the roots are 

 covered, and the soil is then pressed down with the foot, and another 

 trench prepared. This mode of planting is employed wherever more 

 plants are taken out of the ground than can be immediately planted, 

 and it is founded on the necessity of avoiding the great injury which 

 the fibres and spongioles of plants sustain by exposure to the air. 



Trench-planting is the most common mode, next to planting with 

 the dibber. It is used in transplanting most kinds of trees in the nur- 

 sery, and most kinds of edgings of single lines of plants. The spade 

 is inserted perpendicularly along the line, and a trench is opened of 

 the required depth, perpendicular on one side and sloping on the 

 other ; and the plants are placed against the perpendicular side with 

 one hand, while, with a spade in the other hand, or by the foot, some 

 soil is drawn over their roots ; after which the trench is filled up by 

 the spade, the surface levelled, and the line lifted and placed at a 

 suitable distance, for a second trench. In general, this mode of plant- 

 ing is carried on simultaneously with digging or trenching ; trenching 

 being used for plants having very large roots, such as rhubarb, sea- 

 kale, horse-radish, &c. In planting box and other edgings to walks 

 in shallow trenches, the ground along the line of the intended edging 

 is first dug to a iiniform depth and width, and the soil is well broken, 

 so as to be of an equal degree of fineness ; it is then compressed by 

 treading or beating, so as to be rendered uniformly firm along the in- 

 tended line of plants. The line being now stretched, a notch or trench 

 is made along it, generally on the side next the walk, perpendicular to 

 the surface, and of the depth of the roots of the box or other plants. 

 The box is now laid in against the perpendicular side of the trench, 

 using both hands, while the roots are covered with soil by drawing it 

 up against them, with a spade or the foot, so as to keep the plants in 

 their place. The remaining quantity of soil necessary to support the 

 plants, and to earth them up as high on the walk side as on the border 

 side, is then brought forward with the spade, and the work is com- 

 pleted by firmly treading the soil to the plants with the foot. 



Slit-planting is effected by inserting the trowel or the spade perpen- 

 dicularly, moving it backwards and forwards an inch or two, and then 

 withdrawing it. In the open slit thus left a plant is inserted, and the 

 sides brought together, when the slit is not deep, by treading with the 

 foot ; but, when it is deep, by inserting the trowel or spade on one 



