PLANTING 49 



Thus, the advantage of the early planting, when it can be 

 done sufficiently early, is evident : but, if it cannot be done 

 thus early, the date of planting appears to be immaterial. (The 

 low values obtained as above for the trees planted on March 30 

 are probably accidental, since better values were obtained with 

 those planted at a still later date.) 



Yet, even where trees for planting cannot be obtained at a 

 very early date, there are reasons why early planting should be 

 advocated in preference to late planting, these being the con- 

 dition of the soil, and the prevalence of drying winds. Where 

 ordinary methods of planting (without ramming) are adopted, 

 a fairly dry condition of the soil is essential for success, 

 and such a condition obtains more often in the early part of 

 the winter than later on. In February the soil is at its worst 

 in this respect, and it is owing to this fact that February has 

 acquired its appellation of Fill-dyke, and not to the exceptional 

 extent of the rainfall in that month, which is generally less 

 than that in several other months in the year. The bad 

 results obtained on planting trees in soil when in a wet, sticky 

 condition has already been mentioned (p. 42). 



EXPOSURE BEFORE PLANTING 



The damage which may accrue to trees on exposure to drying 

 winds during the interval between their removal from the 

 nursery and their being planted, may, also, be very great. Even 

 exposure of a very moderate character was found to do material 

 damage, for in the case of maiden apple trees which had been 

 left for four days under cover in a shed before being planted, 

 a deficiency of from 66 to 33 per cent, in their subsequent growth 

 occurred, the comparison being made with similar trees which 

 had been replanted immediately after lifting (IX, 50; XV, 65). 

 Analogous results were obtained with older trees which were 

 lifted and replanted, either with or without three days' ex- 

 posure to the air : exposure was found in that case to .have 

 caused -a deficit of 53 per cent, in the subsequent year's 

 growth, and though the deficit disappeared in after years, the 

 loss experienced at first was never made good (I, 105 ; V, 41). 



DEPTH OF PLANTING 



The depth at which a young tree has been growing in the 



nursery, as indicated by the collar mark on the stem, AS the only 



safe guide as to the depth at which it should be replanted. It 



does not follow, however, that that is the depth where it will 



E 



