48 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



marked out with red cloth at the required distances ; 

 and two good men should be chosen to mark the 

 holes in advance of the men. Each marker should 

 have a stick of the right length i.e., to correspond 

 with the distance apart and when one length is 

 finished, they should set out the next by these sticks, 

 and re-lay the line so that the red marks correspond 

 with the centre of the holes made, or, if alternate 

 planting is adopted, with every other line. Various 

 methods of laying -out, and various distances are 

 recommended by forest nursery-men, as will be seen 

 on reference to their catalogues. For even distribu- 

 tion the equilateral triangle must be resorted to ; but 

 in practice 4 feet square planting will be found best 

 in the long run. 



The men will follow in two sets : the first will, with 

 spades or forks, open the holes, and the second set 

 will follow and complete the work ; or, which is 

 sometimes better, the first set may open and com- 

 plete the holes, and the second, with forks, follow and 

 loosen the bottom. In this case the former set 

 should be double the latter. Each man should 

 lay the turf on one side of the hole, and the soil 

 on the other ; if mixed, there will be delay when 

 planting. 



The holes should be of a size to meet the necessities 

 of the trees i.e., if they are one-year seedlings two- 

 year transplanted, they may be eight inches square 

 and nine inches deep. This is usually large enough 

 for ordinary plantation purposes. If the soil is 

 turf, the holes should be as square and uniform as 

 possible ; if loose, this is sometimes impossible. 



