ly stirred. A
moist day just before a light shower is the best time. These
conditions being present, the plants are carefully lifted from the
seed bed with as little disturbance of the roots as possible and
carried to the field or garden. Some plants, like cabbage, will stand
considerable rough treatment, while others, like the eggplant, require
greater care.

In the field or garden a hole is made for each plant with the hand, a
stick or dibber or any convenient tool, the roots of the plant are
carefully placed in it and the soil is pressed about them. If the
soil is moist and freshly stirred, new roots will generally start in a
very short time.

Plants that have been grown in pots, small boxes or tin cans, as
tomatoes and eggplants are sometimes grown, may be quickly
transplanted in the field in the following manner: Open the furrow
with a small plow, knock the plants out of the pots or cans and place
them along the land side of the furrow at the proper distances, then
turn the soil back against them with the plow.

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 frui