PLANTING.

Auckland Times, Volume 2, Issue 56, 6 February 1844, Page 1

PLANTING.

(Cohliuutd from our lust.)

MODES OF TRANSPLANTING. 4th. The defects of the s it mode of planting are, that the earth is not properly reduced in its texture to suit tho tender fibres of the roots of seeding plants, and the natural plants of the surface are left to contend with them for the nourishment afforded by the soil, nor can the rootlets of the young trees be disposed and placed in their right poitions. The least objectionable practice is to cut a circular piece of the turf, a foot in diameter, and lay it on one side with the surface downward ; t ie workman then with Ids spade loosens a nd bleaks down the texture of the uncovered soil, and, by making ample space for the extension of the roots of his plant in every direction, inserts it in the pulverized earth. The turf which had been reversed and ’aid on one side, is then with a stroke of the spade divided into two equal parts, and rep'a ed on each side of the p ant in its reversed position. The reversed turf supports the plant against the effects of t e wind, retains the proper moisture of the s;>i, and prevents the evil consequences resulting to the lateral branches of the young tree, and to the health y progress of the stem, from the uncontro led growth of the herbage natural t > the soil, a I of which, by the former modes, a e rather encouraged than checked. In uninclosed commons or moors, the natural herbage and shrubby plan's are kept under by cattle, &c ; but when su h binds are inclosed for planting, and thereby protected from stock, the naiural plants, which before appeared diminutive and slow of growth, suddenly attain a size and vigorous vegitation highly detrimertal to the young forest trees. 2 Matlock planting is confined chiefly to ro 1 ky ground, and to soi's containing many coarse, tough roots of herbage,

•reath, &f.; and under these circumstances the mattock is an indispensab ! e in - strument. It is thus described in the planter’s Ka'endar: —’"The handle is three feet sis incites long; the mouth is live inches broad, and is made sharp,; the

length of it to the eye or shaft is sixteen inci es, the small end or pick is seventeen inches l-ong.” It may be unnecessary to mertlcn that the broad or hoe end s »ou d be faced with steel and kept well sharpened ; it is perfectly effective in cutting or paring the heath, fuize, &e., and the pick end is equally so for thoroughly loosening and fitting the soil to be operated upon by the spade or planter. The Hackle prongs are recommended for clayey, tenacious soils, which are difficult to work with the spade. It is made with two or three prongs; tho former of two for the soil just mentioned, and the latter of three prongs for stony or gravelly soi s. 3. Holing. Holes or pits are dug out, and the loosened soil left for a season to the action of the weather, to ameliorate and reduce its texture. Time should be afforded for the rotting or decomposition of the turf or surface produce taken off the space which is opened, previous to the period of planting. The size of the holes should vary according to the size of the plrnts to be planted, and to the nature of the subsoil. Plants from one and ahaf to two feet high should have the holes two feet wide and eighteen inch os deep, prepared in t e summer or autumn for the i-ei eption of the plants in spring:. For trees of larger growth, the extent of the roots must determine the size of the holes, making in allowance of fr.un six inches to a foot of extra width beyond the extreme points of the roots. Holes made in tenacious days retain the water which faffs into them, and rots the roots of the trees; dry, light, sandy soils cannot be benefited by the pulveiising action of the sun and air; rocky soils, admit but imperfectly of holing; and some kinds of binding gravelly soils are as liable to t he retention of moisture as stiff clays. The practice of holing is therefore never attended with success on these kinds sf soil.

Spade planting app’ies to land prepared for the reception of the plants by trenching. Although this mode of planting is the most common in use, and may appear to require but little exercise of skill on the part of the operator, it is nevertheless often very badly executed. It is best peiformed when ti e holes are made a few inches wider than the roots of the plant extend ; the earth of H e bottom of the hole should he broken down with the spade, the sides ah round should be made to slope i iwards, so as to cause the bottom to be wider than the top, The person who holds the plant should then place it in ti e centre of the pit, and the operator with the spade should have ready some fine surface soil to cover the bottom and raise it up to the proper height, the person holding the p’ant raising it at the same time, so that it may stand not deeper in the soil than it previously stood. The earth should then be carefully thrown in a finely divided state, and t e plant during the operation slightly moved, so as to prevent the roots from being covered in bundles, and to afford each root and rootlet to ha e a portion of the soil intervening between it and the rest. Treading should be a oided, as it renders the soil cohesive, whi h in s:iff or heavy land is an evil of great magnitu le to newly-planted roots. In ffo-ht soils, however, a slight pressure wlt.i the foot to keep the plant steady in

in its place is nee essarv, particularly if the weather is dry during the season of planting ; but in cases where it is pract cable, it is much more beneficial to settle the earth about the roots of the plants by a free application of water in the usual manner.

It is the best and most expeditious practice to have one set of men to make the i oles, and another to finish the planting. When different species of trees are to be mixed in the plantation, each species is successively distributed and planted. What we have a ready stated respecting the great importance to the success of the plan s of , not suffering t lie roots to be dried by exposure to the sun or wind, may render it unnecessary to urge l ere, that the distribution of ti e plants on the ground should not be farther in advance than just to keep the planters fully employed. Before laying the plants out on the spots where they are to be planted, it is a most useful practice to dip the root 3 in water, or in a puddle made of water and rich motild In planting on a confined scale, the plants may be distributed as before, and two workmen may proceed to open the pits on the spots. As soon as the hole is opened, one of the operators places the roots of th© plant in the hole, while the other with his spade finishes the process as above directed. By this method the holes can be made proportionate to the size of the roots of the different plants, which when of various species, are oftentimes •l'sn of cltfTV>voTvt c> W hon urcumstan< es warrant the previous preparation of the soil necessary to this mode of planting, it should be adopted, as being the most perfect and effective.