Che IRational nurseryman. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXX. HATBORO, PENNA., NOVEMBER 1922 No. 11 
Digging and Handling of Nursery Stock 
The proper digging and handling of Nursery Stock is 
as vital to its success as the growing of it, but as a rule 
more thought is given to the latter operation than the for¬ 
mer. There are nurseries that are well equipped and 
take much pride in the quality of stock they grow but fall 
down to a certain extent in getting it to the purchaser. 
There is little can be said on the subject that would be 
new to the average nursery hand, yet methods of digging 
and delivery of nursery stock to the customer are far be¬ 
hind the growing of it. 
The production or growing of plants is a much more 
deliberate process than that of the distribution or‘ship¬ 
ping of it away after the order has been received, and for 
this reason the nursery is organized better for one opera¬ 
tion than it is for the other. Another reason is that the 
harvest or time of digging is a comparatively short period 
and much has to be accomplished in a short time. 
The nurseryman himself and the experienced hands 
know how nursery stock should be handled when out of 
the ground but, as often happens during the busy season, 
quite a number of new hands have to be taken on and it 
is not always possible to so officer them to insure the 
practices and policies of the firm being carried out. 
Practically every foreman has experienced that sen¬ 
sation of extreme irritation when in the busy season, 
with a thousand and one things needing attention, he 
takes green hands out to start digging orders and the first 
motion of putting the spade into the ground reveals them 
as inexperienced. He realizes at once that he will have 
to teach them how to work and practically do it for them 
for the first day or so, at least. 
The old hand knows that while a plant is out of the 
ground the roots should not be exposed any longer than 
possible. If it is necessary to dig a quantity and they 
have to lay out in the open before they can be hauled to 
the packing shed, provision should be made to cover them 
with sheets or to heel them in. With many plants a few 
hours exposure of wind and sun damages them beyond 
recovery. 
A well managed nursery trains its men to always make 
provision to protect their roots by some means or other 
during the entire period they are out of the ground, but 
it is the green hands that are left to themselves in the 
rush that often cause trouble. 
It is in this connection the man who uses his brains 
proves himself so much more valuable to his employer 
than one who works mechanically without thinking. 
He has the welfare of the plants at heart and arranges 
his work accordingly. 
On a dry windy day he knows they will suffer much 
more than on a still moist one and in many ways takes 
advantage of circumstances and conditions. 
When the plants are brought to the packing shed they 
should immediately be puddled, this operation consists 
in dipping the roots in liquid mud. It dries upon them 
and forms a coating, which prevents the tender tissue 
from shriveling and is really very great protection. 
Packing 
When possible, of course, it is cheaper to pack in bales, 
an operation somewhat difficult to describe in writing 
but there are certain salient points that should always be 
observed. If the tree is long and is liable to get broken a 
stout stake should be tied in to prevent it. First of all 
tie in and arrange the trees or shrubs so that the roots 
and trunks will make a compact bundle, drawing in as 
tightly as possible, using a broad leather strap. This 
will not bruise or skin the bark. Then tie the bundle at 
intervals drawing the branches as close as possible, the 
bale being now ready to straw. A liberal coating of 
straw, straight rye straw preferred, should be tied a- 
round the bundle beginning at the roots. After the tops 
have been thoroughly protected by straw, place the roots 
on a piece of stout burlap and cover with moist packing. 
Moist packing can be either short oat straw that has been 
well wet down, sphagnum moss or any light material that 
will hold water similar to a sponge. Much depends on 
the thoroughness of packing this material around the 
root because if it is well done the bale may be shipped 
long distances and remain out of ground a long time 
without injury being done to the plants. The burlap 
should then be sewed around the roots and the whole 
package when completed should be compact and neat in 
appearance. Nothing looks worse than a bale arriving at 
its destination with scarred and broken branches pushing 
out of the straw unexposed roots sticking out of the bur¬ 
lap. Such a condition means a complaint even if the 
plants have not been injured. 
Packing In Boxes 
Packing in boxes is a simpler operation than packing 
in bales, it requires some little practice to put up a bale 
in a workmanlike manner, although experience is a great 
thing even in packing in boxes. 
The skilled packer can size up his order, call for cor¬ 
rect size of box and when it is finished there is no room 
to spare, yet ample to contain all plants. A good plan is 
to assemble the order, laying them on the ground in much 
the same way they will lie in the box. It will give an 
idea of the correct size and make the operation very much 
simpler. 
All plants dug and packed with balls should always be 
