62 



TRANSPLANTING. 



The first thing to do is to procure as many short pins oi 

 stakes, a few inches long, as there are to be trees in the or- 

 chard. These may be made by simply splitting short blocks or 

 boards with an axe, say half an inch in diameter ; or corn-cobs 

 will answer a good purpose, and may be more easily seen. 

 Then procure a strong cord as long as one side of the orchard, 

 or, if the orchard is very large, as long as each section may be, 

 if necessary to divide it. Then, with a pole or other meas- 

 ure, mark off the distances of the trees on this line, sticking a 

 common brass pin through at each place for a tree, bending 



it around the cord so that 

 it will not come out. Red 

 yarn sewed through and 

 tied around the cord 

 " ' would be more visible 



than pins; but the latter 

 are quickly found if the 

 workman measures the 

 distance by pacing .be- 

 tween them as he walks 

 from one to the other. A 

 new cord will stretch a 

 little at first, but will 

 soon cease to do so. The 

 easiest way to mark the 

 spaces on the cord is to wrap it around the ends of a board 

 cut at the right length, so that every third coil shall be 

 a place for a pin. Thus, if the board is five feet long, by 

 marking every third coil at the end of the board we obtain 

 spaces of thirty feet. The field having been ploughed and 

 fitted for planting, we are now ready for operation. Select a 

 still day, so that the wind will not blow the cord out of place, 

 and then stretch the line along one side of the field, at a suit- 

 able distance from the fence where the first rov/ is to be. 

 Make it as straight as possible, by drawing on it forcibly ; a 

 stout cord being better than a weak one on this account. If 

 the land be tolerably level, twenty or thirty rods may be- 

 measured off at a time. Place flat stones or other heavy 

 weights upon it at intervals, to keep it in position ; if there is 

 some wind, care will be necessary in making it perfectly 



Fig. 9s.— Staking out Orchards. 



