Method and means for transplanting

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR TRANSPLANTING ROWS OF POTTED PLANTS THROUGH A WEB OF PLASTIC MULCH, COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL FRAME ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE GROUND; A TRANSVERSE AXLE JOURNALED ON SAID FRAME; GROUND WHEELS FIXED ON SAID AXLE; A ROLL OF PLASTIC MULCH ON THE FRAME ADAPTED TO UNWIND AND LEAVE A WEB ON THE GROUND AS THE FRAME TRAVELS; MEANS ADJACENT THE ROLL FOR EMBEDDING THE SIDES OF THE WEB BELOW THE GROUND; MEANS IN REAR OF THE EMBEDDING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PUNCHING PARALLEL ROWS OF SPACED POT-RECEIVING HOLES IN THE WEB AND INTO THE GROUND; A SHELF ON SAID FRAME ABOVE THE PUNCHING MEANS; CONVEYOR MEANS ON SAID SHELF FOR MOVING SERIES OF POTTED PLANTS FROM LOADING POINTS TO DELIVERY POINTS; DROP-TUBES AT THE DELIVERY POINTS OF THE SHELF FOR DELIVERING POTTED PLANTS SUCCESSIVELY INTO THE LAST PUNCHED HOLES; MEANS ON THE FRAME FOR DELIVERING WATER SUCCESSIVELY ONTO THE LAST DEPOSITED PLANTS IN SAID HOLES; MEANS ON THE FRAME FOR INTERMITTENTLY AND SUCCESSIVELY ACTUATING THE WATERING MEANS ACCORDING TO THE SPACING OF THE PLANTS IN SAID ROWS; MEANS ON THE FRAME FOR DELIVERING LOOSE DIRT COLLECTED FROM BEYOND THE SIDE OF THE WEB AND INTERMITTENTLY AND SUCCESSIVELY DEPOSITING SAME ON THE WEB IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE ROWS OF WATERED PLANTS ACCORDING TO THE SPACING OF THE PLANTS IN SAID ROWS; AND MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING THE DIRT SO DEPOSITED TO SUCCESSIVELY FILL THE HOLES AROUND THE POTS AND TO COVER THE TOPS OF THE POTS IN THE HOLES.