80 AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 
The planting process consists of scraping away the surface litter with a 
few side strokes of the planting tool, and then digging the hole, setting the 
plant in and filling up as shown in the diagram attached. 
The crew is lined up in the following formation, not exceeding fifteen men 
to the crew. 
End man 1 
13 
15 Foreman 14 End man. 
No. 1 sets the pace. No. 14 marks the line. They reverse on the return. 
These men get an extra shilling a day. 
The foreman follows behind, testing the planting and generally directing. 
The crew is turned in the following way :— 
No. I finishes first and takes his place for the return trip: 
15 
1 144 138 12 111098 7654832121 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 No. 1 is in place when No. 14 plants his 
7 last tree. 
8 No. 14 now sets the pace back; and 
9 No: 1 marks the line. 
10 
11 
12 
13 
15 14 
The spacing is generally 8 x 8, judged by the eye. 
The planting operations I observed were in Lolo National Forest in 
Montana on a large burn, and the site, was to all appearances a typical hilly 
N.S.W. North Coast dairying selection after ringbarking and burning off. 
The only difference was the climate—six or eight months’ snow, and a 15-inch 
precipitation. It was considered too dry a site for a homestead. 
The ground was not prepared in any way for planting. 
This represents the greatest cost-saver in planting work. 
I inspected some areas which had been planted for a number of years: 
The plants were thriving and there appeared to have been an 80 per cent. 
success. 
The records show that for Montana, the average success is 60 per cent. 
after three years. 
This result is considered a good one for the expenditure, and sufficiently 
satisfactory for forestry purposes. 
No special fire protection is afforded beyond that provided by the general 
fire organisation. 
