NOTCHING 121 



The cost of thus notching or slitting will be from 45. 6d. 

 to 53. 6d. per 1000. 



(^) Notching -with Schlich's Spade is an improvement on 

 ordinary notching, and 3-year-old plants can often be notched 

 by this means. The spade has rather a long blade, which, at 

 the end, narrows in a great deal, and has a more or less 

 pointed end. The centre of the blade is rather thick, and the 

 end and sides taper to a feather edge. 



The spade is inserted quite vertically, and then swayed to 

 and fro. By this means a wide opening is made at ground 

 level, which, lower down, tapers in to a " neck," and then 

 again broadens out. 



The spade is then withdrawn and the plant inserted care- 

 fully by a boy and held in position. The man then inserts 

 the spade vertically about 4 inches behind the original cut, 

 but parallel to it ; he then works it to and fro, so as to close 

 up the opening. Again he inserts it in front of the original 

 cut, and again works it to and fro. By this means not only is 

 the top of the opening closed, but also the wide opening at 

 the bottom of the cleft. If the spade be only worked one 

 way towards the tree, the bottom of the cleft will not be 

 closed in. It is therefore most important to work it both 

 ways. This working of the spade to and fro, to close the 

 opening, effects an appreciable amount of cultivation of the 

 soil. 



Finally, the ground must be firmly trodden round the 

 tree. 



The cost of notching with a Schlich's spade will vary from 

 75. to 93. per 1000. 



(c) Notching with a Wedge-shaped Planting Iron. 

 This is suitable for the same sized trees as can be notched 

 with Schlich's spade. The operation is performed in much 

 the same way, but the earth is only pressed back from one 

 side. The iron is a clumsy implement, and has nothing to 

 recommend it. 



In all forms of slitting, great care must be taken that the 

 roots never get doubled up. The roots of the trees should 

 always be put right down to the bottom of the notch or slit, 



