186 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



plants being distanced about fifteen inches in the rows. Planting is 

 done with a dibble, and a man can plant out four to eight thousand 

 a day, according to his expertness, if he has a boy to drop plants 

 for him. The earth should be pressed firmly about the roots with 

 the dibble. 



Planting with a trowel can be very rapidly done in this way. 

 Get a new mason's trowel about six inches wide and twelve inches 

 long coming to a point. Cut off one or two inches of the point, 

 making it round on the grindstone. Put the trowel down in the 

 soil the whole length, pull it over toward you, put in the plant, take 

 out the trowel, then step on the soil near the plant to make it firm. 



If the seed-bed is sandy enough and is allowed to become a 

 little dry, the plants can be lifted readily without losing roots. Large 

 bunches of plants when taken to the field should be protected from 

 sun and wind by a wet sack, and dropping should not go far ahead 

 of the planting. 



Early planting in anticipation of rains may be surer to hold on 

 if a little water is used in planting if the ground is inclined to be dry. 

 On irrigated ground, which is given a good soaking before plowing 

 for fall planting, this may not be necessary, but subsequent irriga- 

 tion must be given in time if rains are delayed, for the plants must 

 not be allowed to stop growing. 



Planting out on irrigated ground after the land has been pre- 

 pared as just described for field growing of plants, can be done in 

 this way : 



Have plants of good size and two men to the row: one with a long- 

 handled spade to open a place along the edge of the furrow by inserting 

 the spade at an angle of about 45 degrees and without withdrawing it, 

 but simply raising it up until the other man, who carried the plants in 

 a pail which had a little water in the bottom, could slip a plant under the 

 spade, when by a deft, quick movement the spade could be withdrawn 

 and the soil allowed to fall upon the roots, when the man with the spade 

 was careful to step on the plant just over the roots and thus firm the 

 earth. By having the proper force of men employed to get the plants 

 from the seed bed to the field, so that the men planting could proceed 

 without hindrance, it is astonishing how rapidly the plants can be set; 

 and by choosing the after part of the day and turning the water in right 

 after each row wa's planted, the plants receive scarcely any check by 

 removal. 



Field planting by machinery as practiced to some extent in the 

 eastern states, is not prevalent in California. 



