FORMATION OF PLANTATIONS. 



Immediate planting after being lifted is to be strongly 

 recommended, the evil of allowing plants to lie about exposed 

 to wind and weather being well known. Should it, however, 

 not be convenient to plant at once, the nursery-stock should 

 be stood closely together, and some damp straw, leaves, or 

 soil heaped around the roots of the outer or exposed speci- 

 mens in the lot. In any case, the roots must never be 

 allowed to become dry and parched, or be subjected to frosty 

 winds, as these act most perniciously, and soon destroy the 

 tender fibres arid render them almost useless for the purpose 

 intended. 



In planting, spread the roots well out in the pits, avoiding 

 all cramping and bundling, placing the largest to the most 

 exposed side, and cover with earth, the finest soil being 

 placed next the roots, and the rougher and grassy on the 

 top. Placing the top turf in the bottom of the pit, cutting 

 it well up with the spade, putting a little earth on the top 

 of this, and then planting the tree, has its advantages, the 

 rotting turf acting as manure by the time the roots have got 

 down to it. Do not place the plant deeper than it stood 

 when in the nursery border, this being an oft-committed 

 evil that is to be zealously guarded against, for to it more 

 deaths are to be attributed than is generally supposed. 

 Tramp the soil around the stem of the plant firmly, and 

 thus will be finished the operation of planting. 



(7.) Slit or Notch Planting. This is done by simply 

 cutting the sod or surface by two strokes of the spade, and 

 to the depth of about 5 in. : thus L or T. With the first stroke 

 the spade is inserted in the ground in an almost perpen- 

 dicular manner; it is then withdrawn and inserted at right 

 angles to the first notch and at the end of it, and by 

 pressing down the handle of the spade the turf is opened up, 

 the plant being inserted from the blade of the spade towards 

 the further end ; the spade is then carefully withdrawn and 

 the turf trampled so as to cause the notches to close 

 completely. This latter should be strictly attended to, as 

 should the notch be left partially open, the plant will suffer 

 from the admission of an undue quantity of air. The 

 operation requires two persons a man to open the notch, 



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