PLANTATION, PLANTING. 



plentiful watering. This watering 

 should he given wiicn the soil is near- 

 ly all filled in, and, after tiie water 

 has subsided, so as not to stand above 

 the surface, the latter should be cov- 

 ered with the remaining portion of 

 soil. Except in very loose or light 

 soils, this method will supersede the 

 necessity of the hard beating and 

 treading in to which the roots of 

 trees are very generally subjected. 

 The latter practice is now, however, 

 being laid aside by many, from a con- 

 viction of its injurious effects. It is 

 also necessary to reinark that a plant 

 should be placed, before the introduc- 

 tion of the soil, exactly as it is in- 

 tended it should stand ; and it should 

 not be pulled from side to side for the 

 purpose of shaking the earth among 

 the roots. If the tree be drawn to 

 one side, the fibres of the root will 

 also be drawn towards the same side ; 

 but they are, of course, too flexible 

 to force their way back when the 

 tree is drawn in a contrary direction, 

 and they must therefore become 

 more or less doubled. Nor should 

 the soil be thrown against, the fibres 

 while the roots are being covered ; 

 it should be made fine, and either 

 shaken from the spade so as to fall 

 perpendicularly among the roots, or 

 scattered by a force impelling it in 

 the direction of the fibres, which will 

 be, in general, from the stem towards 

 the extremities, or from the centre 

 to the circumference. 



" The principles here stated are 

 applicable to the planting of large as 

 well as small trees, and, in fact, to 

 any terrestrial species of plant. There 

 are, however, many modifications in 

 practice, some of which may be no- 

 ticed as proper under certain cir- 

 cumstances, and others as only to be 

 condemned under any circumstances 

 whatever. 



" Small plants are very frequently 

 inserted by the dibble, a cylindrical 

 piece of wood, shod with iron, and 

 tapering to a point. This is thrust 

 into the soil, and in the hole formed 

 by this means the roots of the plant 

 are introduced, and a portion of 

 soil passed towards them by a sec- 

 584 



ond stroke of the dibble. It is ev- 

 idcnt, however, that by this proce- 

 dure the roots cannot be in the most 

 natural position ; they are, in fact, 

 the very reverse of being spread out 

 to the best advantage. In the case 

 of very valuable species, the spade 

 or planting trowel is used in prefer- 

 ence to the dibble. The latter has 

 nothing to recommend it on the score 

 of good principles in planting ; the 

 expedition with which it can be em- 

 ployed is all that can be said in its 

 favour. 



" Besides the spade and dibble, va- 

 rious other implements are used in 

 planting, such as the diamond dibble, 

 a pointed plate of steel, with a short 

 iron handle ; a mattock, used in stony 

 soils ; and some others, adopted ac- 

 cording to circumstances. In all ca- 

 ses, however, where the spade can 

 be used, it is undoubtedly the best 

 instrument. If the soil be unfit for 

 allowing the use of the spade, it 

 should be rendered fit previously ; 

 and if some time be lost and expense 

 incurred by using it instead of small- 

 er and more expeditious, but, at the 

 same time, more cramping imple- 

 ments as regards the roots, the dif- 

 ference will certainly be ultimately 

 in favour of a proper disposition of 

 the roots by means of the spade. 



" With regard to the preparation 

 of the soil for plantations, it ia found 

 that trenching the ground is attended 

 with profit where it is practised for 

 the purpose of rearing wood for fuel 

 and small timber. This mode of prep- 

 aration ought likewise to be adopted 

 where trees are intended to be plant- 

 ed for ornament or for shelter. It 

 has not been generally attempted in 

 the case of extensive plantations of 

 heath or rugged mountain land. It 

 may, however, be affirmed, without 

 hesitation, that great advantages 

 would be derived from the operation 

 being more extensively performed. 

 Something more than merely burying 

 the roots of hard-wooded plants is 

 thought necessary, and, accordingly, 

 fits are made. It is scarcely neces- 

 sary to observe that, if these are not 

 of considerable size, tlie direct prog- 



