64 BULLETIN 419, l*. S. DEPARTMENT OF ACUICULTURE. 



soaking the beds thoroughly immediately after transplanting, and 

 by conducting the operation as early in the spring as the weather 

 will permit. Losses will unquestionably be greater with some species 

 than with others. Thus sugar pine and Arizona cypress have been 

 found to be difficult trees to transplant without rather severe losses. 



REMOVAL OF PLANTING STOCK FROM NURSERY. 



DIGGING. 



As far as possible, stock for shipping should be taken up as pack- 

 ing progresses. The transplants are dug with a spade or horse- 

 drawn tree diggers in the same manner as seedlings. The number 

 which can be dug in a day depends upon the method, the size of the 

 stock, the character of its root system, the nature of the soil, the 

 weather, and the spacing. At the Wind River Nursery, where the 

 soil is fairly loose -and the spacing 1 to If, b} r G inches, 2 men have 

 dug 1-1 Douglas fir at the rate of 40,000 per day. This number is 

 large, and as speed is conducive to carelessness the maintenance of 

 such a rate should not be attempted. An average of 15,000 per 

 day for 2 men digging only should be easily possible, making the 

 cost of the operation about 25 cents per thousand. Where grading 

 and counting are practiced in conjunction with digging, the rate is 

 decreased. With horse-drawn tree diggers the rate can be increased 

 one-half or more. As the trees are removed they can be heeled in 

 right back of the diggers and afterwards counted, graded, and 

 bunched under cover of a building, or these operations may be per- 

 formed by an additional man as fast as the trees are lifted. The 

 bunches of each class of stock should be uniform in shape and size 

 and not too large, and should contain equal numbers of plants, ordi- 

 narily from 25 of the larger to 150 of the smaller trees. These 

 bunches are tied loosely, and then heeled in if packing is not being 

 carried on at the same time. If the weather is very dry while count- 

 ing is in progress, the roots should be sheltered and immediately 

 covered with damp soil, burlap, or moss as soon as they are bundled. 



GRADING. 



Grading stock requires about twice as much time as when extra 

 plants are included to make up for the average number of culls per 

 bunch. The time saved by this latter method may be worth decidedly 

 more than the value of the extra trees which might be included in a 

 shipment through error in overestimating the number of culls. One 

 man can count, bundle, and tie on an average about 12,000 trees per 

 day, making the cost approximately 21 cents per thousand. Where 

 close grading is considered essential, as in Arizona and New Mexico, 

 it can be conducted more effectively at a nursery than by a planting 



