When there is a large number of plants to be set, as in planting
cabbage, sweet potatoes, etc., by the acre, it is not always
convenient to wait for a cloudy day or to defer operations till the
sun is low in the afternoon. In such cases the roots of the plants
should be dipped in water or in thin mud just before setting them, or
a little water may be poured into each hole as the plant is put in.
The soil should always be well firmed about the roots. The firming of
the soil about the roots of a newly set plant is as important as
firming it over planted seeds. The soil should be packed so tightly
that the individual leaves will be torn off when an attempt is made to
pull the plant up by them.

In dry or warm weather it is a good plan to trim the tops of plants
when setting them. This can be done readily with some plants, such as
cabbage and lettuce, by taking a bundle of them in one hand and with
the other twisting off about half of their tops.

[Illustration: FIG. 47.
Operations of seed-planting: 1, making the drill; 2, dropping the
seeds; 3, covering the seeds; 4, packing the soil over the seeds.]

[Illustration: FIG. 48.
A collection of planting machines. The large central machine is a
grass and grain planter. The one on the left, a potato planter. The
one on the right, a corn, bean, and pea planter. The three smaller
machines in front are hand seed planters.]

The proper time to transplant fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs
is during the fall, winter and early spring, which is their dormant or