248 BIEECT SOWING. 



notches, but seeds may be dropped in at other points also. The 

 spade used should be a straight one, with a thick blade gradually 

 narrowing towards the edge (Fig. 85.) The planter's hoe (Fig. 

 22) may be used in soil too hard and dry for spades. 



Value and employment of the method, — The notch system 

 in general, like the preceding, necessarily implies the absence of 

 Btrong or invasive weeds, a naturally loose, deep, moist soil, the 

 development of a powerful tap-root, and, if the species used is 

 delicate, either a mild, moist climate or the shelter of canopied 

 forest overhead. As compared with mere dibbhng, the present 

 method enjoys this advantage that the long oblique wound made in 

 the soil, especially the double oblique one in the cross-cut system 

 ■which loosens the soil very appreciably, is more favourable for 

 root-development than the very restricted hole made by the dibber ; 

 and for this reason, and also because more than one seed is sown 

 in each notch, the number of notches, area for area, may be 

 considerably less than the number of holes. But, on the other 

 hand, the notch system requires the soil to be in a softer condition 

 at the time of sowing. 



ARTICLE 4. 



Complete sowing with tilth. 



In this method, after a less or more complete preparation of the 

 soil, the entire area is uniformly and pretty thickly sown. 



§ 1. Preparation of the soil. 



In preparing the soil three different procedures may be followed, 

 according to its actual condition. 



I. If the soil is naturally free and the growth of weeds is very 

 slight, a simple raking or harrowing or a merely superficial hoeing 

 will suffice. Such a soil we may, for instance, have where a well- 

 conserved forest has just been felled or opened out, or where a field 

 has been recently abandoned. If the ground is open enough and 

 free of stones and large roots near the surface, harrows (Figs. 20 

 and 21) may be used. Where there are too many stems standing 

 to permit of the manoeuvring of a harrow, rakes must be substitut- 

 ed. Owing to the work required of them, these rakes should be 

 strong and heavy, and made entirely of iron and steel. A useful 

 model of one, that can be used like a hoe as well, is the drag (Fig. 

 41). If woody roots are numerous, the most effective tool to em- 

 ploy is the hoe. It may be of any one of the patterns represented 



