58 A MANUAL OF FORESTRY. 



Superficial loosening or wounding the soil is indi- 

 cated on localities which are already of a fairly loose 

 consistency, and covered with a moderate amount of 

 turf , moss or leaves. 



Hoe cultivation is in its place when the soil is somewhat 

 heavier, uneven, stony, or where the roots of a previous 

 crop of trees are still in the ground. 



The use of the plough is restricted to fairly level 

 areas, comparatively free from stones, stumps, or big 

 roots. Attempts have been made to introduce ploughs 

 of specially strong structure for the cultivation of stony 

 soils or for breaking up soil containing roots, but their 

 application is so limited that they need not here be 

 further considered. 



Spades are the best of all instruments for cultivation, 

 but work performed with them is too expensive for 

 ordinary forest operations ; hence their use is generally 

 restricted to nurseries, for trenching areas with an im- 

 permeable substratum, or for planting. 



In the case of light and middling soils the loosening 

 may be done immediately before the sowing of the seed. 

 Heavy soils, or those containing considerable quantities 

 of raw humus, heather, broken up impermeable layers, 

 woody weeds, etc., should be worked in autumn and 

 remain unsown over winter, so as to be subjected for 

 some time to the action of air, rain and frost. Such 

 soils may require a second more superficial working in 

 spring before the seed is sown. 



Many and various are the forms of the several tools 

 which have from time to time been recommended for use 

 in the preparation of the soil. Of these, a considerable 

 number are of doubtful utility. As a general rule 



