cruickshank's practical planter. 345 



ed and drawn a little along by an experienced 

 hand, and well tramped down, has its rootlets dis- 

 posed over the horizontal bottom almost as regular- 

 ly and well adjusted for growing, as can be done by 

 pit-planting. This practice is sometimes performed 

 singly, a clever workman managing the spade with 

 one hand and the plants with the other, and insert- 

 ing 1000 each day. The plants suited for this sys- 

 tem are fully double the size of those suited for the 

 flat-dibble system, and are purchased at about one 

 half more price, thus enhancing the cost of plant- 

 ing to 1, 10s. or £ 2 per acre ; but in many si- 

 tuations, especially where the herbage grows freely, 

 affording an earlier growth, and more regular suc- 

 cess, sufficient to balance the greater expense ten 

 times over. 



Although the cross-system of slitting is the best 

 fbr commanding general success, yet wherever the 

 flat dibble planting can be depended on, it merits a 

 preference, as from the smallness of the plants, the 

 roots receive less fracture and derangement in the 

 woody state, and the process comes nearer to raising 

 from the seed in situ. 



The expense of each system per acre, will be near- 

 ly as follows ; — 



