METHODS AND PRACTICE 175 



point of the whole process, when the nursery lies, as is 

 often the case, a long distance off. The custom of 

 bundling up trees into hundreds, packing them loosely 

 into trucks, or possibly worse still, into transparent or 

 perforated mats, in which they lie for two or three 

 weeks, to be again taken out and laid in the ground, still 

 tied up in bundles, is responsible for many failures. 

 From the time they are lifted until finally planted out 

 probably an interval of two or three months elapses, and 

 during the whole of that time a process of drying is 

 going on, more or less rapidly, according to weather con- 

 ditions and situation in which the trees are placed. With 

 damp, gloomy weather, or when the trees are lying in a 

 sheltered hollow, the process of drying out is delayed. 

 Bright, frosty, or windy weather, on an exposed site, 

 generally brings about the deaths of all but the hardiest 

 trees, except those individuals which happen to lie in 

 direct contact with the soil. 



The remaining condition necessary for successful plant- 

 ing lies in surrounding the roots ivithjine soil, and keeping 

 the surface clear of weeds, grass, and other rubbish which 

 deprive the tree roots of necessary tnoisture or smother 

 the leaves and growing "points. This involves some form 

 of soil preparation in the majority of cases. 



The jDreparation of the surface soil in Britain, before 

 planting operations are carried out, is practically con- 

 fined to the burning of heath, the cutting of gorse, 

 broom, bracken, and woody growths of various kinds, or 

 to the simple process of pit-planting. Very occasionally 

 such operations as ploughing, paring, or grubbing out 

 surface growth may be practised, but for obvious reasons 

 the first named cannot be carried out on rocky or uneven 

 ground, and the others are very expensive, and on that 

 account are either neglected or badly performed. 



Slit-planting is often the only method adopted over 



