46 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



from the former point of intersection o, and by press- 

 ing down the handle of the spade the turf will open at 

 o ; the boy or girl with the trees will immediately 

 place the roots carefully in the opening, and draw the 

 tree towards the centre at o. The man will withdraw 

 the spade, when the turf will reclose ; and by pressing 

 the whole firmly with the foot the planting is com- 

 plete, and he will pass on to the next. A man, aided 

 by a boy or girl, will plant in this way from 700 to 

 1000 trees in a day. 



When planting on the side of a slope the planter 

 should stand with his back to the hill ; his cut will 

 then be vertical, and the tree will not only be upright, 

 but will obtain, by interception, a better supply of 

 moisture from the descent of water down the slope. 



Each tree should be carefully trodden in, and the 

 slit in the turf thoroughly closed ; if this is not done, 

 the tree is hung in the hole, and the roots, instead of 

 being incased in mould, are left suspended in space. 

 The man, not the boy, should be held responsible for 

 properly treading in. The process just described is 

 applicable only to the conifers ; if deciduous trees are 

 planted in these districts they must be pit-planted, or 

 the seed may be sown. On stony ground, or where 

 the soil is very thin, it may be difficult to notch ; 

 under these circumstances the planting-hoe must be 

 resorted to. In this case the man will carry his own 

 trees, and work his hoe with one hand, whilst he places 

 the tree with the other. 



The methods described are best adapted to this 

 class of land, and are also the cheapest. The trees, 

 too, do better, and being small and very young they 



