Date Unknown
Dibble Bar Courtesy of Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry
Photo Courtesy of Ken Aschliman

This early 20th century tree planting bar, a muscle-builder for sure, played a key role in Ohio reforestation efforts. It is estimated that more than 1 million acres of forests came back through hand planting activities. A tree planter uses the bar to create a slit in the ground into which a 1- or 2-year tree bare-root seedling is placed and tamped in. Skilled planters could plant more than 1,000 seedlings in a day, enough to reforest 1 to 2 acres. This bag could hold up to 200 seedlings depending on size and species.