Making the Rows Straight. 255 
found the orchards to be as crooked as others set 
with much less care. The surveyor sets his stakes 
by sighting across the field from certain fixed 
points; but it is difficult for the planter, when the 
stake is removed and the hole dug, to stand the 
tree in the exact place of the stake. It is better 
to regard the trees as stakes and to set them by 
sighting. The area can be “run out” on two or 
three of the sides, a conspicuous stake being set at 
the location of each tree on these outside rows. If 
the field is large or rolling, it may be necessary to 
set one or two lines of stakes across the center of 
the field also. For areas of a few acres, a garden- 
line stretched across the field will be found to be 
a great help and to save much time. This line is 
moved at either end to the adjoining row, as soon 
as one row is set alongside it. Persons sometimes 
tie conspicuous strings on the line at the given 
intervals between the trees, expecting to set a tree 
at every knot, but with the stretching of the line, 
and other sources of error, it is nearly impossible 
to get the cross rows straight in this manner, and 
the trees must be kept in line by sighting. 
Upon comparatively level fields, especially if the 
land is in good tilth, the plantation may be laid 
out with a corn-marker. If the planter keeps his 
back to the row of trees and sights ahead to the 
marked line or furrow, he will get his rows straighter 
than he will if he sights by the trees. Two men 
are better than one when setting plants, for one 
usually attends to the sighting whilst the other 
