Seven. On a fork. This is astonishing. The seven parts include the points, which are the tips of each of the tines. There are the slots, which are spaces between the tines. There are the tines ...

Don’t confuse this flat-tine spading fork with a hay pitchfork, which has round tines. Spading forks are essential to lift the root crown of large, heavy plants up from the bottom of a deep hole.