66 ON PIT PLANTING 
description, early in spring, during open weather: these are 
the seasons most approved of. The operation of pit planting 
is generally performed by a man and a boy; the man takes 
out a spadeful or two from the half-filled pits formed in 
summer, and the boy inserts the plant, with the roots well 
spread; the earth, which should be pulverized, is then spread 
on the fibres, while the boy moves or shakes the plant as the 
pit is being filled; so that the roots are fully spread, and each 
individual fibre is surrounded with the soil; after which, the 
earth should be pressed down with the foot all around the 
plant, which should stand perpendicularly, and about an inch 
deeper in the ground than it had formerly stood in the nur- 
sery, which point is readily known by the ground mark be- 
tween the root and the stem. It is of great use, particularly 
in dry soil, to observe, in finishing the upfilling, to leave a 
regular concavity around the plant, suitable for retaining 
moisture, which is valuable in establishing newly inserted 
plants in pits, and is the more necessary on the slopes on hill- 
sides, where the outer or under edge of the pit should be 
carefully formed sufficiently high to intercept the rain, for the 
benefit of the plant. 
Prepared ground,—There is no method of preparing ground 
which adds more to the vigour of a young plantation of hard- 
wood trees than that of trenching, and when the subsoil is of 
inferior quality, it does least mischief to the trees by being 
placed to some extent on the surface. In all plantations for 
ornament or for shelter, or wherever large plants are to be 
inserted, and rapidity of growth is desired, there is nothing 
that will effect the purpose so soon as deep trenching; digging 
or ploughing is of much less benefit to trees, as their roots 
penetrate to a considerable depth; it is therefore in the 
looseness of the ground underneath that the great advantage 
lies. It is only the expense of trenching for plantations that 
prevents it being more generally adopted ; for every planta- 
tion (except that of an open heath or moorland, where in 
many cases it would be unsuitable for young plants) is bene- 
fited by the operation in a very marked degree. The expense 
