46 FINANCE AND PLANTING METHODS 



roots may have room to hang freely when held in the 

 hole, and not be twisted up at the bottom. This hole 

 will ordinarily be about 2 feet square and 2 feet deep. 

 The turfs cut off the surface should be placed to one 

 side of the hole, and the finer soil from the top below 

 the turfs be also set by itself to one side. This soil is 

 first filled in upon the roots when the plant is held in 

 position in the hole, the poorer soil being added on 

 top of this till the hole is full. The plant is then pulled 

 up to a position slightly higher than it will occupy 

 when the operation of planting is complete. This raising 

 of the plant draws out the roots so that they occupy 

 a natural position in the pit. The planter holding 

 the plant firmly in his hands then presses down the 

 soil all round with his feet, thus lowering the plant to 

 its proper position, adds the remaining soil and presses 

 this and places the top turf, cut into two pieces, on the 

 surface of the fiUed-in hole on either side of the plant, 

 if the surface vegetation is not of a rough character. 

 Should it bo-so the turf is left off. If the pits are 

 made some time before planting the rotten turf is 

 placed in it. The plant is held in the hole before 

 planting by a boy or by the plant-holder. 



The cylindrical, semi-circular and semi-conical spades. 

 — Planting by means of these spades is very similar 

 to the methods employed with the common spades. 

 The holes are made with the spades, the plant held 

 in position, and the earth filled in with a trowel. The 

 size of the hole made depends upon the size of the 

 plants. 



The semi-circular spade is undoubtedly one of the 

 best tools to use for planting four-year-old conifers. 



