THE FOREST NURSERY 345 



advisable to moisten the roots of coniferous plants during the proc- 

 ess of sorting and tying in bundles. The counting and sorting 

 table at the Pocatello nursery has a sloping top with a shallow 

 trough at the lower edge which contains water into which the 

 roots are dipped as the plants are counted and tied in bundles. 

 // the plants have been a week or longer in transit, particularly if the 

 roots appear even slightly dry, they should be puddled as soon as they 

 are unpacked and the bundles opened. 



Puddling consists in dipping the roots into a mixture of clay 

 and water of the consistency of paint. Usually a hole is exca- 

 vated in the soil at a convenient place and clay or clay-loam 

 thrown into it and thoroughly mixed with water. The plants are 

 taken a bundle at a time, the string loosened or removed, and the 

 roots submerged in the puddle. Care should be taken that al) 

 the roots are completely coated with the mud. 



