24 BULLETIN 475, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 
square is ordinarily loosened to the depth of the mattock blade 
and the cleft is then made in the center of the loosened area. 
The principal advantage of this method is that it is rapid, and, 
where it can be practiced successfully, correspondingly economical. 
Moreover, it makes possible the covering of large areas during a 
planting season. On the other hand, it can not be followed to good 
advantage except in soil which is fairly loose and free from rocks, 
because it is difficult to make a deep enough cleft in heavy or rocky 
soil; and, what is still more important, a cleft in such soil can not be 
properly closed by tramping after the seedling is inserted. Where 
the cleft is not properly closed air spaces are left around the roots, 
causing them to dry out ; and the death of the plant follows. Further, 
careless or rapid planters often will not take the trouble to see that 
the roots are not bent, and that the root tips are not near the surface 
Pig. 3. — Slit method. A, Open slit with spade ; B, insert tree and hold with hand until 
set ; C, close slit by thrust of spade ; D, close entire hole by thrust of heel. 
of the soil where they will soon dry out. Such planting is almost 
certain to result in failure. The method has been followed success- 
fully, however, particularly on the Nebraska National Forest in the 
sandhill region, where a crew of two men will average about 2,000 
plants per day of eight hours. 
A modification of this method is sometimes called the " grub-hoe 
method." In this the grub hoe or mattock is driven into the soil 
to the depth of the blade; the tool is pulled slightly toward the 
operator; the roots of a plant are thrust into the opening thus 
formed back of the tool ; and the blade is then lifted in such manner 
that the loosened soil slides off upon the roots of the plant. This 
soil is then well tramped about the roots. The method is simple, 
easy to perform, and rapid; and the soil is not scattered. Planting 
can be carried on at an average of from 600 to 800 trees per man 
