426 



SEEDING AND PLANTING 



The above shows the general plan of organization. In many 

 operations it is advisable to have 1 or 2 extra planters. In 

 extreme cases where the holes are easily dug and the planting 

 is difficult it is sometimes desirable to have 2 planters for each 

 man with a grub-hoe or mattock. Although 1 plant distributor 

 is usually sufficient for a planting unit of 10 to 14 men, if the area 

 is covered with scrub oak or similar cover or if several species 

 are planted in mixture, 2 plant distributors are necessary. Ex- 

 perience has shown that a planting crew of 2 units, e.g., 20 to 

 28 men, is the most efficient as it can be handled by a single fore- 

 man. In organizing the planting unit the- grub-hoe or mattock 

 men should form a diagonal line in proceeding across the planting 

 site (Fig. 129). The planters should proceed in a straight line at 

 right angles to the direction of planting. The plant distributor 

 moves back and forth in front of the line of planters and drops a 

 plant at each hole just before it is needed for planting. The fore- 

 man should insist that the plant distributors keep the roots moist 

 and that the plants are not dropped too far in advance of the 

 planters. It is necessary for the planters to be in a straight line 

 at right angles to the direction of planting in order that the plant 

 distributor can easily supply them with fresh plants. 



The effort of the foreman should be not only to plant the trees 

 well but to plant them economically. The cost of planting depends 

 largely upon the position of the men in the planting unit. The best 

 workers should be placed at the end positions. The 2 end or 

 outside grub-hoe or mattock men should be not only good but also 

 steady workers, as they lead the planting unit. A leader who 

 attempts an over-rapid pace is as objectionable as one who tends 

 toward the other extreme. 



On favorable sites the entire operation from the digging of the 

 planting hole to the setting of the tree is often done by a single 

 workman. The chief objection to the 1-man unit when a large 

 number of planters are employed is the difficulty in securing ade- 

 quate supervision. The desired spacing distance cannot be so 



