REFORESTATION ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 
41 
trench is plowed to the full depth and is so located in the furrow 
that dry top soil does not fall into the trench and thus come into 
contact with the roots of the trees. The planting crew follows and 
put the trees into the trench before it has an opportunity to dry out. 
When the planting holes are prepar-ed by hand, one man may 
do the digging and be followed by another man who plants; one 
man may prepare the holes for two planters; two men may prepare 
holes for one planter ; or one man may do both the digging and the 
planting. Standardization of methods is hardly possible because of 
variations in the nature and condition of soils, and difference in per- 
sonal adaptation, and in the character, size, and root systems of the 
stock. The practice of having certain men dig and others plant 
gives the officer in charge the opportunity to assign to these tasks 
the men best qualified for them. In soil easily worked and in country 
where little difficulty is experienced in getting over the ground, a 
combination of one digger to a planter or even one digger to two 
planters when the planting is carefully done will be found to work 
very well. In very rough country where the preparing of the holes 
is difficult and slow, one planter may be able to follow two diggers. 
In general, however, it is thought that in such country or where there 
is a dense ground cover of logs or brush, each man should prepare the 
holes and plant the trees also. This obviates the necessity of two 
men traveling over the same course ; and actual practice in Districts 
1 and 6 has shown it to be by from 25 to 30 per cent the most rapid 
method under such conditions. 
The practice is sometimes followed of having one or more people 
carry the trees and distribute them to the planters as they are needed. 
Boys can be employed at this task at a lower wage than the men re- 
ceive, or the man in charge of the crew can perform this duty. Men 
engaged in distributing only will be idle part of the time ; they will 
have calls for trees from two or more planters at the same time and 
obviously can not supply all of them at once, and if the trees are 
distributed in advance of the planters the roots may be exposed long 
enough to dry them out. Under most circumstances, one man can 
carry his own trees and plant as fast as another man can dig, the 
trees are at hand just when he wants them, and the roots are not ex- 
posed until they are ready to go into the hole. 
When some of the men are assigned to planting and others to 
digging, it is well to have them change off two or more times a day 
if it can be done without impairing the quality of the work. It will 
relieve the monotony and may promote the rapidity of the operation. 
One man who acts as the leader of a crew should set the pace and 
direct the course of the rows. The others keep abreast of him, and, 
to facilitate rapid work, merely estimate the proper distance between 
the holes. Considerable latitude should be allowed in locating the 
