Jan.'] PLANTING. 165 



them fhould regularly fill their aprons at one 

 time, to prevent any of the plants being too long 

 retained in any of the planters' aprons. 



Having mentioned boys or girls, we may here 

 obferve, that it is the moft expeditious method, 

 and that by which the planting may be beft exe- 

 cuted, to employ a fpadefman and a young perfon 

 together. One man cannot poflibly fet a plant fo 

 well with the fpade, unlefs in the cafe of laying^ 

 as two people can ; nor, fuppofing him to do it 

 as well, can he plant half as many in the fame 

 fpace of time, as two can. A boy ten years of 

 age is equal, as a holder, to the beft man on the 

 field, and can be generally had for lefs than half 

 the money. Hence this method is not only the 

 bed, but the lead expenfive. 



By the mode of preparation which will be found 

 recommended in May, the pit will now have been 

 dug for feveral months ; the furface will therefore 

 be incrufted by the rains, or probably covered with 

 weeds. The man firft ftrikes the fpade down- 

 wards to the bottom, two or three times, in or- 

 der to loofen the foil ; then poaches it, as if mix- 

 ing mortar for the builder ; he next lifts out a 

 fpadeful of the earth, or, if neceflary, two fpade- 

 fuls, fo as to make room for all the fibres, with- 

 out their being anywife crowded together ; he then 

 chops the rotten turf remaining in the bottom, 

 and levels the whole. The boy now places the 



plant 



