306 PLANTING. 



should also cover them up entirely. Protected from the light, they 

 may be kept thus for weeks and even months. 



In the case of rhizome shoots, if they form little clumps and are 

 mere switches not more than 3 feet long, they will retain their 

 vitality in double-headed bundles much longer than seedlings. If 

 they are larger, the rhizome portion should, for long transport, be 

 surrounded with soil put in after they have been carefully ar- 

 ranged. For short journeys they require no further protection 

 than shading from the sun and freedom from contact with dry air. 



SECTION X. 

 Care of transported planting material before use . 



It near always happens, at places situated at some distance from 

 the nursery or other source of planting material, that more is 

 received than can be put out at once ; and even when the distance 

 of transport is short, unexpected hot sunny weather or night-fall 

 may put a temporary stop to the work of planting and leave on hand 

 an appreciable quantity of unused material. Hence the necessity of 

 knowing what to do in order to keep the plants in a healthy and 

 vigorous condition uutill they can be put out or ai-e actually 

 wanted. 



When a large consignment of plants is received from a distance, 

 especially if they have gone through a trying journey, they should 

 be unpacked without delay. Rooted plants should be at once 

 put into the ground in long pits or trenches in a shady place and 

 copiously watered ; plants that have been headed off or unsprouted 

 rhizomes may be completely buried. Unschooled cuttings may be 

 thrown into water or buried in the ground either completely or 

 up to the top second or third bud. From day to day only the 

 quantity actually required should be taken out, and if the mate- 

 rial cannot all be used up for some time, what is placed in pits or 

 trenches should be kept well watered. Under exceptional circum- 

 stances it may happen that a part of the material has to be kept 

 over until the following season, in which event this surplus stock 

 will have to be planted out as in nursery lines in temporary nur- 

 series, care being taken to previously prune off all damaged parts 

 and to throw away whatever is unfit to be kept. 



In the case of sudden sunny or dry weather intervening or night 

 coming on, the still unused material brought from a neighbouring 

 nursery may be similarly put into pits or trenches in the forest, or 

 into little pools of water at hand, according to the time they are 

 likely to remain unused. 



