284 PLANTING. 



Except where irrigation or some other kind of adequate water- 

 ing is possible, the entire work of planting, particularly in the case 

 of plants lifted up with naked roots, should be done while rain is 

 actually falling, for under no other circumstance could the neces- 

 sary immediate intimate connection between the roots and the soil 

 be secured ; and wet weather should continue for a day or two at 

 least after the plants have been put into the ground. As so favour- 

 able a combination of natural conditions seldom occurs more than 

 once during the whole rainy season, it follows that when planting 

 is to be done, a large gang of labourers should be kept ready to 

 come out at a moment's notice and complete the whole or most of 

 the work on the first good rainy day after the soil has been satur- 

 ated. 



SECTION IV. 

 Arrangement of the planted material. 



In planting some definite arrangement may be followed or there 

 may be no attempt at order at all. In the former case whatever 

 other rule of disposition is followed, the planting is executed along 

 straight, parallel, equidistant lines. 



ARTICLE 1. 

 REGULAR AND IRREGULAR PLANTING COMPARED. 



The following are the principal advantages secured by putting 

 out the planting material in a regular manner : 



(i) Economy of labour and supervision and facility of execution. 

 The points at which the material is to be put down are rigidly 

 fixed by measurement based on the ruling sylvi cultural and 

 economical considerations. There is thus no time lost in having 

 to choose the planting spots, the gang of workmen can be organised 

 and drilled so as to yield the maximum outturn of w r ork, nothing 

 is left to individual caprice, and the men and work can be super- 

 vised with the greatest ease. 



(ii) Economy in preparing and carrying the planting material, 

 for the exact number of transplants, cuttings, &c. required is pre- 

 viously known. 



(iii) Easy appreciation of extent of failure or success. We have 

 only to count the successes and failures along a sufficient number 

 of lines taken here and there all over the area and obtain thereby 

 the average proportion of success for the entire area or for separate 

 portions of it presenting distinctive characterictics as respects soil, 

 locality, surrounding vegetation and other conditions. Until the 

 plants stand above the grass and weeds, it is extremely dillcult to 



