REFORESTATION ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 41 



trench is plowed to the full depth and is so located in the furrow 

 that dry top soil does not fall into the trench and thus come into 

 contact with the roots of the trees. The planting crew follows and 

 put the trees into the trench before it has an opportunity to dry out. 



When the planting holes are prepared by hand, one man may 

 do the digging and be followed by another man who plants; one 

 man may prepare the holes for two planters; two men may prepare 

 holes for one planter ; or one man may do both the digging and the 

 planting. Standardization of methods is hardly possible because of 

 variations in the nature and condition of soils, and difference in per- 

 sonal adaptation, and in the character, size, and root systems of the 

 stock. The practice of having certain men dig and others plant 

 gives the officer in charge the opportunity to assign to these tasks 

 the men best qualified for them. In soil easily worked and in country 

 where little difficulty is experienced in getting over the ground, a 

 combination of one digger to a planter or even one digger to two 

 planters when the planting is carefully done will be found to work 

 very well. In very rough country where the preparing of the holes 

 is difficult and slow, one planter may be able to follow two diggers. 

 In general, however, it is thought that in such country or where there 

 is a dense ground cover of logs or brush, each man should prepare the 

 holes and plant the trees also. This obviates the necessity of two 

 men traveling over the same course ; and actual practice in Districts 

 1 and 6 has shown it to be by from 25 to 30 per cent the most rapid 

 method under such conditions. 



The practice is sometimes followed of having one or more people 

 carry the trees and distribute them to the planters as they are needed. 

 Boys can be employed at this task at a lower wage than the men re- 

 ceive, or the man in charge of the crew can perform this duty. Men 

 engaged in distributing only will be idle part of the time ; they will 

 have calls for trees from two or more planters at the same time and 

 obviously can not supply all of them at once, and if the trees are 

 distributed in advance of the planters the roots may be exposed long 

 enough to dry them out. Under most circumstances, one man can 

 carry his own trees and plant as fast as another man can dig, the 

 trees are at hand just when he wants them, and the roots are not ex- 

 posed until they are ready to go into the hole. 



When some of the men are assigned to planting and others to 

 digging, it is well to have them change off two or more times a day 

 if it can be done without impairing the quality of the work. It will 

 relieve the monotony and may promote the rapidity of the operation. 



One man who acts as the leader of a crew should set the pace and 

 direct the course of the rows. The others keep abreast of him, and, 

 to facilitate rapid work, merely estimate the proper distance between 

 the holes. Considerable latitude should be allowed in locating the 



