120 PLANTING 



This method could not be practiced if there be a thick 

 soil covering of turf, unless the turf be first removed. It is 

 chiefly suitable for light friable soil ; and it should not be 

 tried on stiff land with clay near the surface. 



4. Notching, or "Slitting." 



This is only suitable for I or 2 year seedling plants, or 

 such seedlings as have no stout side roots. 



(a) When an ordinary spade is used, it is best to get an 

 old, short spade, which is well sharpened. And it is very 

 desirable that the blade be vertical, and in a line with the 

 shaft. There are various ways of notching with the spade, 

 but the L system is perhaps the best. The spade is inserted 

 vertically into the ground ; it is then withdrawn, and then 

 again inserted vertically at right angles to the end of the 

 original cut, thus cutting an |_. 



Then the operator levers the ground up, and the tree is 

 slipped in by a boy at the corner of the |_. The spade is 

 then withdrawn, and the ground firmly trodden. In many 

 cases the services of a boy, to assist the planter, are dispensed 

 with. It is very essential that the tree should be in a vertical 

 position after it is planted. And in order to effect this the 

 planter should stand rather in front of, and to the side of 

 the place where he is going to plant the tree. The spade 

 should be inserted so that the first slit shows a somewhat 

 convex, perpendicular face. This may be illustrated 

 thus : 



Spade ist slit I Spade 



faces I ^ faces 



2nd slit 

 Position >. 



of 

 man. 



Other systems consist in making the cuts in the shape 

 of a T, or by cutting a maltese cross, and then inserting the 

 spade a third time, a little distance away, and thus opening 

 up the centre of the cross. This slitting is only suitable if 

 the soil covering does not fall to pieces during the operation. 



