PLANTING 19 



tween the time when they are lifted in the 

 nursery and when they are planted in the wood. 

 On the journey they should be covered with 

 leaves or sacks. On the arrival at the wood 

 the bundles should be opened, the plants should 

 be placed by their heels in a trench and the 

 roots completely covered with leaves and soil. 

 No more trees should ever be taken out of the 

 trench than can be immediately planted. How- 

 ever open the weather may appear, these pre- 

 cautions should not be omitted. They are very 

 inexpensive, so little is lost, even when they are 

 shown to have been unnecessary. Nothing can 

 be more useless than planting trees whose roots 

 have been frosted or dried. In dry ground the 

 soil is mellowed by the sun and rain if the turf 

 is removed and the holes are made some weeks 

 before planting. On damp ground the holes 

 should be made at the time of planting, other- 

 wise the rain collects in them. 



The ground-plan of the plantation should be 

 such that even on large areas of rough ground 

 the workmen have as little difficulty as possible 

 in finding the right place in which to make the 

 holes when planting, and afterwards in cleaning 

 the trees. The distance between the rows and 

 the distance between the trees in the rows 



