310 PLANTING. 



wide spacing of the individual transplants necessitates large nur- 

 series. Nevertheless by using only small plants (yearlings and 

 even germ plants), the cost can be very considerably diminished, 

 and a further reduction can be effected by employing temporary 

 instead of permanent nurseries. 



ARTICLE 2. 



PlT PLANTING WITHOUT MANURE. 



PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. As in the case of ball planting, 

 the soil in which the pits are made may be previously dug up ; 

 but if it is judged necessary or desirable to loosen the soil beyond 

 the actual spread of the roots, it is better to at once excavate a 

 larger pit than is just sufficient to hold the roots. In rich loose 

 soil the pits need never be more than a trifle larger, and the 

 amount of extra excavation, especially in respect of depth, will in- 

 crease with the stiffness, poverty, dryness and want of depth of the 

 soil and the extent to which it is traversed by a network of refrac- 

 tory invasive roots. In any case, the excavation must go below 

 the depth reached by such roots. Deep narrow pits in soil free 

 from stones would be most easily made with an auger (Figs. 94 

 and 95) or a boring machine (Fig. 96). 



The excavated earth should be collected alongside of each pit in 

 three separate heaps, one consisting of the good soil taken from 

 the top, the second of the inferior soil from below and the third 

 of the stony element. All fragments of roots should be thrown 

 away. 



The pits should, as a rule, be dug just before the plants are put 

 in, as the excavated earth is likely to get washed away by rain. 

 But if the soil is very stiff or full of sour humus, the pits should, 

 if possible, be prepared some time previously, in order to freely ex- 

 pose the excavated earth to beneficial atmospheric influences. 



PUTTING DOWN THE PLANTS. Kneeling on the edge of a pit, 

 the workman should hold the plant in position with his left hand, 

 while with his right he arranges the roots and covers them up 

 gradually, first with the good soil, then with soil from the 

 inferior heap. Roots getting out of position during this oper- 

 ation are rearranged and the plant is from time to time 

 gently agitated so as to allow the loose soil to slip in between 

 and amongst the roots and leave no air spaces. The rest of the 

 soil should now be put back into the pit until the plant is covered 

 up to the point required. Should there not be enough of it, some 

 more must be added from the surface immediately outside. After 



