\l I. r lions OF HANDLING rENTS. 29 
common in Florida, especially when the trees are closely set. After 
adjusting or "kicking in" the edges, the tent is ready for the intro- 
diict ion oi' i be chemicals. 
Whether simple polos or derricks are used, tents are usually 
changed from one tree to the next in the row by making the attach- 
ment as described and pulling the tent directly off From one onto 
the other. When there are only a. few large trees to fumigate and 
the tents at hand are singly not sufficiently Large to cover, two can 
l>e frequently used to advantage, placing them in position from oppo- 
site >ides and having them overlap as much as possible without inter- 
fering with tightness at the ground. 
It i^ hest to have the tents large enough so that not less than 2 feet 
o( the edge will rest on the ground at any point when adjusted and 
ready for fumigation. Sometimes it may be accessary to weight 
down the tents at certain points by means of a few shovelfuls of 
earth. Carelessness of the workmen charged with adjusting the 
tents at the ground would result in seriously curtailing the benefits 
from fumigating a grove. When arriving at the end of a row, or on 
other occasions when it is desired to uncover a tree without at the 
same 4 time pulling the tent in position over another, the tent is usually 
dragged off by hand. If there is dead wood present, however, to 
avoid the possibility of injuring the tent, removal with the poles or 
derricks may be advisable. It is well to call attention again to the 
desirability of always pulling the tent lengthwise with the strips, 
whet her in changing the tent from tree to tree or in dragging off from 
a t ree after t reat ment. 
Bell tents. — The method of covering trees with hell or hoop tents is 
so plainly shown by Plate I as to require but few words of explanation. 
The cloth should fall over the hoop on the side farthest from the tree, 
in order to bring the center of the tent about over the center of the 
tree in covering. Usually two men, one on each side, can easily 
throw the tent entirely over the tree, hut if the tree to be covered re- 
quires nearly the full capacity of the tent it will be necessary to pass 
around to the front of the tree and pull the tent down into position 
with the hoop resting on the ground. Ordinarily the cloth which ex- 
tends below the hoop makes the tent sufficiently tight at the bottom 
when the hoop is resting flat on the ground. An extra man with a 
pole or rope may be necessary to assist in handling the largest sizes of 
hoop tents, when they are used to cover the largest trees possible. In 
changing from one tree to the next in the row a little experience will 
show what is the quickest and easiest method. Tents of this pattern 
an- at present little used in California, the sheet tent being greatly 
preferred even for small trees. 
