STOCKING THE GKOUND 123 



In working with the grubbing iron, it is punched into 

 the soil and worked about to make the hole into which 

 the plant is inserted, the hole being closed and the soil 

 trodden firm as with the Mansfield spade. 



Planting with the Dibbling Iron. 



On very clean land where small plants such as two- 

 year seedlings can be used, planting with the dibbling 

 iron or planting stick is a very useful and cheap method. 



The dibbler is made either solely of iron or of wood 

 shod with iron. The blade is about 2J inches wide at 

 the top, tapering to a point, and is about 6 or 8 inches 

 long. The shaft, about 6 inches long, is fitted with a 

 cross-handle. 



It is used in a similar way to the Mansfield spade, the 

 blade being pushed into the soil, the plant inserted 

 deeply, then drawn up to the required height, the hole 

 closed by another insertion of the dibbler, and the plant 

 firmed up. This tool can be used for planting on the 

 small patches prepared by the use of a spiral spade. 



Planting with the Planting Hoe. 



After the mattock has been used to strip the turf and 

 loosen the soil, the planting hoe is a handy tool to use. 

 It is made with a long, narrow blade about 3 inches wide, 

 fitted to a short handle about 1 foot long. 



When naked-rooted plants are used, it may be used 

 as a dibbler, the blade being pushed into the soil, which 

 is dragged aside, the plant inserted, and the hoe with- 

 drawn, allowing the soil to fall back over the roots. 



