12 
R. m. KBLLoaa's great crops op 
pose. The first objection is that when forced 
into the ground, moved back and forth and 
sideways it makes a glazed surface and 
when closed by the foot in the ordinary way 
incases the roots in a veritable pocket and if 
dry weather follows the glazed surface will 
dry out and no feeding root can penetrate 
it. Dig a plant up a week afterwards and 
find the little white rootlets tracing up and 
down the old root to find a crack in this 
"plastered wall" through which it can pen- 
etrate to the mellow soil just beyond. No 
good growth can be had under such circum- 
stances. If the ground be moderately loamy 
or clay the weight of a man will not close 
the bottom of the cavity (see figrure). 
A "Rat Home." 
(Bottom of hole not 
The Wrong Way. closed.) 
Set a plant and step on it in the usual 
way and then dig down by the side of it and 
see how many "rat homes" you will find 
with roots hanging in free open air. 
You will be surprised to find that often 
more than half are exposed. Another ob- 
jection is that the lower ends of roots are 
buried too deep. The roots of a plant spread 
out in all directions and coming near the 
surface feel the warmth of the sun and send 
out feeders much sooner. Notice the nat- 
ural tendency in roots to run near the sur- 
face when taking them up in propagating 
bed. ^ ^ 
U.se the spade tliis way. Let a man go 
ahead of the setter, force the spade straight 
down two-thirds the length of the blade, 
then draw the handle toward him about 
ten inches, force one inch deeper, push 
from him far enough to make the earth 
stay and withdraw the spade, thus leaving 
the opening so the bottom is easily closed. 
Quickly insert the hand, rub off the glazed 
surface and take a few roots from one side 
of the plant, holding crown in left hand, 
deftly drag the roots sideways into the open- 
ing and when all spread out evenly and 
center of crown just even with surface of 
ground quickly fill the cavity, piling the 
earth so that when stepped on it will be 
perfectly level around the plant. 
If the crowns are too low they will rot 
or make a feeble growth. If too high the 
upper roots will be exposed to wind and die. 
The new roots always start from above the 
old ones and if the plant is not in the grovind 
deep en6ugh they will not start (see engrav- 
ings). If a little too deep new crowns will 
not start on the side of the plant, and if a 
little too high it will 
make only a feeble 
growth. I urge great 
care in doing this 
work. 
The most per- 
fect tool ever in- 
vented for this pur- 
pose is the Perfection 
plant setter. It digs 
the hole leaving in 
the center a cone. It 
is set with a gauge 
so it can be neither 
too deep nor too shal- 
low. Take the plant 
by the crown and 
hold the roots upside 
down, giving it a 
slight quick jerk and 
roots will fall over 
the hand when you 
can quickly turn it 
over the cone 
and the roots '-i 
will arrange ' 
themselves 
evenly around Perfection Plant Setter. 
it. Then the dirt is quickly brushed back 
into the opening and firmed. The cone 
comes clear up under the center of the 
crown, the bottom of cone being about 
five inches in diameter and roots so dis- 
tributed there can be no tangled mass as 
it gives a circumference and immediate root 
pasturage of over fifteen inches. 
All roots iu 
center of a tan- 
gled mass not be- 
ing able to reach 
the soil mildew 
and rot, and are 
not only lost as 
feeders to the 
plant, but greatly 
injure the remain- 
ing roots and hin- 
der the growth 
for many weeks. 
The weeding- 
machine will 
work perfectly as 
roots are braced 
in all directions 
and at an exact 
depth so none can 
be injured by the 
teeth passing 
around them. We 
can furnish this 
machine at $4.00 
or with Automat- 
ic runner cutter 
The Cone. 
(Ready for the plant.) 
Separating Roots. 
Too Deep. 
Too Shallow. 
