50 BULLETIN 479, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
necessary. When stock reaches a large size before or after trans- 
planting, or where there is a deficiency in the water supply during 
the growing season, wider spacing is justified. It is thought that 
lj-inch spacing in the rows is too close for the large 1-0 fall-sown 
Douglas fir at the Wind River Nursery, and for 2-0 western yellow 
pine at Fort Bayard. 
REMOVING SEEDLINGS FROM SEED BEDS OR " LIFTING." 
The first step in transplanting is digging the seedlings from the 
seed beds. The tool best adapted to this purpose under all conditions 
is a flat, straight-handled spade. In seed beds of 200 seedlings or 
more per square foot one man can dig and deliver to the planters 
from 50,000 to 70,000 plants per day of 8 hours, depending largely 
on the character of the soil and the care taken. The operation con- 
sists simply of shoving the spade at a slight angle into the ground 
at a distance of about 6 inches from and parallel to the outer row, 
and then, by backward pressure on the handle, loosening and lifting 
the seedlings from the soil which surrounds them. In drill-sown 
beds the practice is often to drive the spade in behind the row of 
seedlings and pry them away from the remaining stand. When the 
seedlings are thoroughly loosened and the soil around them is shaken 
apart, they can be removed without serious breakage of the roots. 
Two men work to best advantage. While one works the spade the 
other grasps the tops of a bunch of seedlings, and, by a weaving 
motion accompanied by a slight pull, removes a bunch of plants 
at one time. This is work which should be intrusted to one or more 
carefully selected crews. At a number of the nurseries one man does 
it alone. Before starting the operation, the soil should be fairly 
fresh. If necessary, it should be watered to secure this condition. 
Garden forks are sometimes used instead o£ spades. They can be 
handled more rapidly, but are very likely to skin the roots. 
At several nurseries horse-drawn tree diggers (Pis. XVIII and 
XIX) are used for both seedlings and transplants. The principal 
merit of these is that the trees can be dug very rapidly. The sharp- 
edged horizontal wedge of the digger shown in figure 2, Plate XVIII, 
is drawn under the trees at any necessary depth down to 12 inches 
and loosens a strip of plants about a foot in width. It is somewhat 
difficult to guide accurately, occasionally coming near the surface 
and cutting off the roots too closely. Some plants also have their 
roots badly skinned and the tops of others are trampled by the 
horses. 
The digger shown in Plate XVIII, figure 1, is a modification of 
a 14-inch stubble plow. The moldboard is cut in half horizontally 
and the plow is equipped only with the lower part when digging 
