25 



is best for two men to divide the job. A little of the up- 

 cast earth is thrown upon the bottom of the hole, and the 

 soil is then loosened up by a chopping action of the spade. 

 More earth is added until it is found by trial that the 

 graftling tree will sit easily on the loose content and the 

 collar stand a little higher than the level of the surface in 

 which the hole has been dug. The contraction of the 

 filling will take up that slight surplus and leave it true. 

 The roots are then carefully looked over, all broken ends 

 are cut off with a sharp sloping cut facing downwards, and 

 the fibres distributed evenly upon the cushion of soil in the 

 liole. They must be divided fairly around 1he circum- 

 ference of which the stem is the centre. Little by 

 little the attendant shovels in small quantities of loose 

 ?arth, and this is packed and worked in by the planter's 

 hands, so that close contact, and above all the absence of 

 hollows, may be ensured. At the same time the planter 

 looks to the accurate setting of the tree, both for line and 

 uprightness. Then both men shovel in the soil to the 

 mrface. Note that the firming of the soil immediately 

 imong and over the roots is done with the planter's hands. 

 Neither immediately on the roots nor even on the surface 

 *oil is there any need for the ill-considered tramping and 

 jumping on the in-throw which is so often practised. The 

 )bject should be to ensure for the root-system a firm yet 

 gentle contact with the moist aerated spongy soil. The 

 >revalent ramming-in of the earth may be useful in setting a 

 >ost, but we are dealing with a living organism from which 

 ve expect delicate rootlets to grow, and for which we desire 

 o prepare a suitable feeding ground. Some planters fill 

 he hole carefully up to the brim, and then gently press in 

 he whole mass with the foot, subsequently filling in the 

 pace so gained with more soil to level up once more, 

 jood work may be done thus, but there is no method more 

 easonable or more successful than the manipulation of the 

 Lrst additions of soil around the roots with the hands, to 

 ^sure the proper degree of closeness and firmness without 

 osing the open sponginess of soil which is all important 

 o preserve. 



26. Then, even if rain is falling at the time, the final 

 Deration must be watering. From a gallon and a half to 



