ob. iv NURSERIES 143 



it. If the plant is small the insertion of finger, stake, 

 or trowel into the earth on one side of the hole and 

 pressure sideways towards the plant will suffice to secure 

 the adhesion of the earth to the roots. With larger 

 transplants the putting in of those with balls of earth is 

 simple, as all there is to do is to keep them upright and 

 to press in the earth of the bed all round firmly with the 

 hand or foot. With ball-less transplants they are held 

 in one hand while fine earth is shaken in round the 

 roots, a slight shaking being at the same time given to 

 the plants to make the particles of earth fit in better all 

 round the roots and into the root-system. AVhen this is 

 done more earth may be scraped in and pressed down 

 with the foot. It is advantageous, before putting these 



Fig. 43. 



plants in, to dip the roots into a bucket of water or, 

 better still, into light liquid manure. 



When the transplants are put into furrows, it is 

 usual to use a "planting board" (Fig. 43), which not 

 only enables the nurseryman to use both his hands in 

 putting in the earth, but also to cover the roots of 

 several transplants at once. When planting into 

 furrows with the help of the planting board, it is best 

 to make one of the sides of the furrow vertical, as it not 

 only helps in keeping the roots vertical, but it makes 

 the filling in of earth easier. The board can also be 

 used for planting in holes, a single transplant being put 

 in a notch over the spot where it is to be planted. 

 For larger transplants a clip or holder has been devised 

 (Fig. 44), 1 which does away with the necessity of having 

 two men, one for holding the plant and the other for 



1 After Schlich, in Man. For. vol. ii. p. 213. 



