As manuring, which is part of this, is treated separately, we have here only to consider the best means of stirring the soil to give air to the roots of the plants, and to keep down weeds, which, if allowed, injure the yield vastly.
Unless when plants are full blown and in full bearing (and not even then unless they are planted close) it is not only not necessary, but a waste of labour and money, to open the soil all over the garden with a view of stimulating or cultivating the plants. Much money has been wasted in this way: for instance, in a garden planted 6 by 6 or 6 by 5, and the plants but two years old, I have seen the whole dug many times in the year. The roots of the said plants did not protrude at that age more than 1 foot or so, what good could they possibly derive from the extra space dug?
The soil over the rootlets of Tea plants cannot be stirred too often. The oftener it is done the oftener the trees flush, and when young the more vigorously will they grow. What is the best way to do it?
I believe simply by digging round each plant. I go to show why this is, I believe, the best.
Putting aside the waste incurred in digging a whole garden when not necessary, the way the soil is then dug near the plants is, I think, objectionable. The ground is dug in a straight line up to the plant, and in doing so, if the digging is deep, roots are very apt to be cut. Again, when the work is task-work, the men shirk as much as possible digging close up to the stems under the branches, and thus the soil over much of the roots, is not stirred at all. This is not easy to detect, for you must look under the branches of each tree to see how the work has been done.
In “digging round plants” the men should follow the kodalee round the tree, and the position of the blade in the same line as the roots makes any injury very unlikely. Even if tasked, as when the work is examined, it is only round the plants, it is more readily perceived if the ground has not been stirred close up to the stems.
I therefore prefer digging round plants, with the view of cultivating them, to digging the whole garden. I believe the object is better attained. That it is much cheaper is evident.
The annulus, or space to be dug round, beginning 9 inches from the stem, varies with the age of the plant. Up to two years one kodalee in width will do, and after that say 2 feet.
The draw-hoe of 8 inches wide is a better tool for the above than the kodalee, especially as it is work well suited to boys, and the “draw-hoe” is a lighter tool.
Till plants from seed at stake are a year old, and till seedlings from nurseries are the same age, calculating in the latter case from the transplanting, no kodalee or even draw-hoe should come near them. The soil round for 6 inches should be slightly opened once a month or so, but it should be done with the “koorpee.”