Making the Rows Straight. 255 



found the orchards to be as crooked as others set 

 with much less care. The surveyor sets his stakes 

 by sighting across the field from certain fixed 

 points ; but it is difficult for the planter, when the 

 stake is removed and the hole dug, to stand the 

 tree in the exact place of the stake. It is better 

 to regard the trees as stakes and to set them by 

 sighting. The area can be "run out" on two or 

 three of the sides, a conspicuous stake being set at 

 the location of each tree on these outside rows. If 

 the field is large or rolling, it may be necessary to 

 set one or two lines of stakes across the center of 

 the field also. For areas of a few acres, a garden- 

 line stretched across the field will be found to be 

 a great help and to save much time. This line is 

 moved at either end to the adjoining row, as soon 

 as one row is set alongside it. Persons sometimes 

 tie conspicuous strings on the line at the given 

 intervals between the trees, expecting to set a tree 

 at every knot, but with the stretching of the line, 

 and other sources of error, it is nearly impossible 

 to get the cross rows straight in this manner, and 

 the trees must be kept in line by sighting. 



Upon comparatively level fields, especially if the 

 land is in good tilth, the plantation may be laid 

 out with a corn -marker. If the planter keeps his 

 back to the row of trees and sights ahead to the 

 marked line or furrow, he will get his rows straighter 

 than he will if he sights by the trees. Two men 

 are better than one when setting plants, for one 

 usually attends to the sighting whilst the other 



