FOREST PLANTING AND SEEDING 71 



In wet places where planting is desirable it is customary to 

 make mounds of earth and set the plants in the center of these. 

 This is, of course, a more expensive method. 



One precaution above all others must be taken in forest plant- 

 ing, especially with conifers, and that is, not to expose the fine 

 rootlets to drying influences of sun or wind, even for a few 

 minutes, because they are very tender and will be killed by such 



By permission of the Connecticut State Forester. 



Fig. 21. A small planting crew organized in units of two men. 



exposure. When the nursery stock arrives at the plantation it 

 should be heeled in immediately near the place of final planting. 

 To do this a slanting ditch is dug slightly deeper than the length 

 of the roots. The bundles of trees are untied and loosened, and 

 the roots carefully spread out and covered with soil. This is 

 called "heeling in" the plants. It is well to wet the roots by 

 pouring on water after the plants have been heeled in. The soil 

 should be firmly pressed against the tree roots and if several 

 days are to elapse before planting, some boughs should be spread 



