TRANSPLANTING 59 



trees grow for one, two, or three years in closely planted 

 beds ; and then transplanting them to the places 

 where they are to grow. In the nurseries a few acres 

 of seedling beds will grow trees enough to plant hundreds 

 of acres ; and while the young trees are in the nursery 

 beds, the land to be planted in trees can be used for 

 other crops. 



Methods. - - Transplanting is nearly always done by 

 hand. But where the rows are far enough apart, and 

 the plants are not to be placed close together in the 

 rows, a transplanting machine may be used. 



Plants set by hand are usually placed in holes made 

 by a dibble, which is simply a round stick or flat piece 

 of iron, used in one hand, while the plants are placed 

 with the other hand. Then the soil is pressed against 

 the roots with the dibble. 



In transplanting it is always necessary to keep 

 the roots moist and to protect them from injury. 

 Whenever possible, it is best to have a ball of soil 

 surrounding the roots. After transplanting, care must 

 be taken to prevent much loss of moisture by transpira- 

 tion, until the plant can get water from the soil by its 

 root system. 



QUESTIONS 



1. What plants are usually started in hotbeds or in houses 

 and then transplanted to the garden or field ? 



2. What results are gained by transplanting ? 



3. How does a cold frame differ from a hotbed ? 



