56 
LAYING OUT THE GROUND. 
After the land has been cleared, ploughed, and harrowed, the 
laying out of the ground is the next thing to attend to. 
Planting is done on—1° the square, 2° the diagonal, 3° the 
hexagonal or equilateral or septuple, 4° the quineunx. 
On extensive areas of undulating land, it is advisable to set 
off the land with a theodolite, or employ a surveyor to do the work, 
so as to ensure precision. There are, however, simple methods of 
carrying out this work which anyone can follow, and which rest 
on geometrically accurate propositions. 
In any case it is essential to start from a base line. 
A surveyed line for this purpose is generally to be found 
alongside the field of operations, as roads and boundaries lines. 
A rough computation of the area to be planted is made by 
pacing two sides of the field, length and breadth, reducing the num- 
ber of yard steps to chains, viz., 22, multiplying the number of chains 
obtained and dividing the quotient by 10. 
For conducting measuring tests, ete., on small areas, the follow- 
ing table is useful, showing the side of a square to contain :— 
1 acre ... .» 208-7 ft. or 70 paces 
anes v= 147-6, 50, 
Be yy ale w=: 120-5 =", 40 ,, 
de ge ae .. 104-4 ,, 35, 
BP ssp dee ste WS 55 254, 
> 
® C® B 
Base Line »— >» 
=.-=G } — + === g fae 
Fonee . 
Marking off squarcs, 
