TRANSPLANTING 145 



plants may be set as 'rapidly by this device as by any 

 hand method. Comparatively few men are able to set 

 as many as 8,000 plants a day, and most laborers fall 

 below 5,000, except in close planting under the most 

 favorable conditions. 



In frame and greenhouse work small dibbers or trans- 

 planting sticks are in common use. The holes may be 

 made and the plants fastened in the same manner as 



FIG. 36. TRANSPLANTING BOARD AND DIBBER 



when dibbers are used in the field. It is a great advan- 

 tage to have the rows straight and a uniform number of 

 plants in each bed or plant box. To accomplish this 

 purpose and to facilitate the work, spotting boards are 

 often used. Sometimes these have small blocks nailed 

 in check rows on the under side, and these merely mark 

 places on the soil for the plants without making holes. 

 Other boards are made with pins which may be forced 

 into the soil, making the holes for each plant, but unless 

 the soil is sandy and of the right degree of moisture they 

 will not work successfully. Figure 36 shows a trans- 



