26 ARBOR DAY. 



and leveled with a plank. This gives a smooth surface, 

 making the ground much easier to walk over and better to 

 cultivate the small trees. The surface is marked off three 

 feet eight inches each way. We consider this distance 

 much better than four feet, as the corn plow will cut the 

 entire space clean, while in planting four feet apart, a 

 narrow strip is left untouched by the plow, allowing a 

 growth of weeds, which will cause more work another 

 season. 



The trees are then carefully assorted, the large ones being 

 planted separately from the small ones. The planting 

 is done by two men, one using the spade, the other carry- 

 ing the trees (we use a large pail partly filled with water 

 to carry trees in). The former sinks the spade into the 

 check marks, and presses it forward, thus making room 

 for the tree. The other man places a tree behind the spade, 

 and the spade-man presses the earth firmly about the roots 

 with his foot. In this way two active men can plant 4,000 

 trees per day. Our men often average an acre per day 

 each, when the soil is in good condition. 



CULTIVATION. The most important thing, after plant- 

 ing, is cultivation. If trees were as carefully cultivated 

 as a field of corn, there would not be many failures. We 

 commence to cultivate about two weeks after planting ; 

 then aim to cultivate every ten days until the first of 

 August. The first season is the most critical for trans- 



