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where the trees will not grow so big 11 to 12 feet apart will not 

 be too close. At these distances the trees should almost touch 

 when fully grown and there will be ample space for the free cir- 

 culation of light and air so needful for healthy growth of the 

 trees and full crops of pods. In addition, the trees will shade 

 the ground nicely, keeping it cool and moist and also preventing 

 an excessive growth of weeds. Of course, the distance between 

 the rows will depend on what distance the bananas are planted, 

 as the row of cocoa trees will run between each row of bananas. 

 First, line out the rows methodically, and place a peg where 

 each hole is to be dug. Large holes should always be dug to re- 

 ceive the plants, and I strongly urge the digging of them about 

 not less than a fortnight to three weeks before planting. Good 

 holes are important. They should be made at least two feet 

 square and eighteen inches deep and the soil must be well turned 

 out so as to expose both soil and hole to the beneficial action of 

 sun and air. Then, just a few days before planting, fill in the 

 hole with good surface soil, making its surface a little higher than 

 the surrounding land to allow for sinkage. Unless this precau- 

 tion is taken, when the ground sinks there will be a depression 

 round the plant in which water will settle and cause the stem to 

 rot away. 



TRANSPLANTING. 



When putting out plants grown in bamboo pots, great care 

 must be used so that the plant shall receive as slight a check as 

 possible in transplanting. Take care to see that the soil in the 

 pot is well soaked before removing the plants. I advise placing 

 them for a few minutes in a pail of water to soak and standing 

 them aside to drain. When actually planting, the pot should be 

 taken into the hand and carefully split open by making a cut at 

 each side with a cutlass. Next, neatly reverse the two halves of 

 the pot, make a good hole in the loosened soil with the hand and 

 insert both pot and plant carefully. Do not plant too deep or 

 too shallow, but sink the pot until its top is level with the sur- 

 face, pressing in the soil around it. Then gently withdraw the 

 two reversed halves of the pot, making everything quite firm and 

 tidy afterwards. 



The great advantage of preparing a good deep hole and careful 

 planting is very soon apparent, for the plant makes a good start 

 in the sweet loosened soil and grows away at a vigorous rate. 

 One cannot too heartily condemn the slip-shod method often 

 adopted of simply chopping a hole with the hoe, pushing in the 

 plant with perhaps all the soil shaken off its roots, and then leav- 

 ing it to take its chance. It is hardly to be wondered at that 

 most of the plants, instead of progressing, gradually die out until 

 the cultivator who put out a hundred plants eventually finds that 

 he has only a dozen or so growing plants left. By following this 



