NOTIONS ON ARTIFICIAL RESTOCKING. 229 



this is only a question of time. The remaining 

 earth should then be thrown in. Less precaution is 

 necessary for small seedlings. Frequently it is 

 sufficient to hold the plant with one hand against 

 one side of the pit, while with the other hand the 

 roots are covered up. When the ground permits of 

 it, nothing more need be done than plough up 

 furrows at the distances required, and make holes 

 with a dibbler as the work proceeds. It is always 

 advantageous to place flat stones round each plant : 

 these preserve the moisture of the soil and prevent 

 it from swelling too easily during frosts. 



Lastly, seedlings may be planted out individually, 

 or in clumps, or in small mounds above the natural 

 soil (ball planting). 



Seedlings are planted out individually whenever 

 they belong to the large or medium class, or even 

 when they are small, if at the same time they are 

 well grown. If they are put into the ground with 

 care, success is very nearly certain, unless the year 

 be extremely unfavourable, or the plants be too far 

 apart. But if only one-year old seedlings are used, 

 as is to be recommended for the Scotch pine, spruce 

 fir, &c., it is always prudent to plant in clumps of 

 two or three plants each. This is done in the hope 

 that one at least will succeed, and if all live, one of 

 them is sure to be more vigorous than the rest and 

 overtop them. These latter will then form a bush 

 round the first until they succumb to the cover, or 

 are cut down, thus proving useful in preserving 

 moisture round the roots of the more vigorous indi- 

 vidual. To plant in clumps, it is best to sow the 



