SG MANNER OF PROCEEDING. 



ground ; and when the least fault is observable, it 

 ought to be checked at once, and the fault laid to 

 the person who did it. Every cut made with the 

 spade in the act of planting a tree should be firmly 

 closed, in order to prevent the drought from taking 

 effect upon the roots. 



The principal use of the boys in the operation of 

 planting is to put the plant into the pit, and to hold 

 it there until the men have it properly fixed in its 

 place ; the boy should never be trusted with making- 

 firm the plants, as is too often done by care- 

 less planters, but the man should be made respon- 

 sible for the good planting of the trees. In planting 

 by the notching system, the boy puts the roots of 

 the young tree into the cut as it is opened by the 

 man with his spade ; and in this case also the man 

 must attend to make the trees firm in their place. 

 Many planters throw down a tree to each pit, and 

 that for a considerable distance in advance of the 

 men at work, which is decidedly a bad way of going 

 to work, for by this method the roots of the young 

 trees are often exposed for half an hour and more 

 to the open air, which is always against their wel- 

 fare ; whereas, when boys are employed for the 

 purpose, they keep the roots of the plants sheltered 

 in their aprons from the drying winds, and, at the 

 same time, the man has always more opportunity 

 for the handling of his spade properly than if he 

 had to stoop down and lift a tree each time he came 



