76 FORESTRY WORK 



depth of a foot, the top layer, which will be better quality 

 than the lower, being kept apart from the latter. The 

 soil at the bottom of the hole should be loosened up for 

 a spade's depth. If the sides are undercut, it will allow 

 more gromng space for the roots. 



If the turf is to be chopped up and placed in the holes, 

 they must be made correspondingly deeper. 



"Where the herbage is Hkely to grow fast enough to 

 smother the plants, it is an advantage to strip the turf 

 off a spade's width aU round the hole, turning it down- 

 wards on the next strip. These httle details add to the 

 initial cost of planting, but the benefit is noticed when 

 the plants have to be cleaned. In fact, there is often 

 little to do in this way when the turf is stripped off 15 inches 

 or so all round the plants, and there is no fear of herbage 

 suppressing them. 



Ironpan or moorpan, if met with, should be broken 

 through by the use of crowbars. 



Measuring sticks should be used to keep the proper 

 distance between the pits. 



2. Ploughing the Whole Area. 



On land that is free from big roots or boulders this 

 operation is fairly simple, but one difficulty often presents 

 itself. The turf will be turned over, but where it is thick 

 it win still form a soft spongy layer above the firm soil, 

 and into this layer it wiU be difficult or impossible tO' 

 firm the plants sufficiently to withstand the wind. The 

 ploughed area should either be fallowed to allow the turf 

 to rot, or cropped, preferably with leguminous plants, such 



