How to Transplant 



189 



Fig. 40. Dibbers. 



advised as a protection, but it is less useful with 

 small plants than with trees, because the fine roots 

 are matted together by the operation. When trans- 

 planting by hand, it is customary to have a boy carry 

 the plants in a covered basket or 

 box, and to drop them just ahead of 

 the planters. One boy ordinarily 

 will drop for two rows of planters. 

 The boy should not drop faster 

 than the plants are required by the 

 workmen. 



Set the plants deep. Gardeners usually prefer to 

 set them to the seed-leaf, even though they were an 

 inch or two higher than this in the original seed-bed. 

 This deep planting holds the plants in position and 

 places the roots in the moist and 

 cool earth. Press the earth firmly 

 about the roots and the crown: this 

 is very important. The best tool 

 for opening the land is a dibber 

 (Fig. 40), which makes a hole, but 

 does not remove the earth. In the 

 working hand hold the dibber; in 

 the other hand, hold the plant; the 

 plant is lowered into the hole made 

 by the dibber, and both hands are 

 then pressed tightly about the plant 

 as the earth is closed against it. 

 Sometimes the dibber is thrust alongside the plant 

 and the hole filled by pressing the earth against it 

 (Fig. 41). If the plants are rather large, and par- 



Fig. 41. The dibber and 

 how to use it. 



