DIRECT SOWING : BROADCAST. 159 



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 plovjjh is restricted to fairly level areas, com- 

 paratively 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 nur- 

 series, for trenching areas with an impermeable 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 un- 

 sown 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 the ordinary labourer 

 gets through more and better work by using the tools with 

 which he is acquainted, than by substituting even an improved 

 form of tool, the use of which he has first to learn. Moreover 

 he will take greater care of his own tools than of those provided 

 for him. 



Under these circumstances the introduction of novel tools 

 can only be recommended when their use really secures a 

 considerable saving of labour. 



Some of the better forms of the principal tools here in 



