78 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



growth. I have planted some seedlings so purposely, the 

 majority died ; those that lived recovered very slowly, and 

 digging them up later the tap-root was found to have gone 

 down after all by assuming the shape of the letter S, the 

 growth downwards being from the head of the letter. 



2. Rootlets, turned away from their lateral direction, 

 interfere with other rootlets, and though they eventually 

 grow right if the plant lives, they retard it. 



3. Fill in as you may (unless you " cake " the soil, which 

 induces worse evils) the plant sinks a little ; thus, if not 

 placed a little high, it will eventually be too deep. If on the 

 other hand placed too high, the rootlets and collar will be 

 exposed, which is an evil. 



4. Unless this is attended to the plant will sink too much 

 and the collar be buried ; likewise an evil, which it takes 

 the young seedling some time to recover. 



Only first teaching and then practice will enable either 

 European or Native to plant well. This is how it should 

 be done. 



Take the seedling in the left hand, holding it by the 

 stem just above the collar ; then take the very end of the 

 tap-root between the second and third fingers of the right 

 hand, and thus put it down into the hole (you thus insure 

 the tap-root being straight). Now judge exactly the height 

 of the collar that it be as directed. Rest the left arm then 

 on the ground to keep the plant steady, release the tap-root, 

 and fill up the hole about one-third, pressing the soil lightly. 

 The plant will then be fixed, and you can employ both hands 

 to fill up the remainder, and keep the rootlets in a lateral 

 position. Press the soil lightly as you do so, and when all 

 is filled up press it down a little harder round the stem of 

 the plant. 



All the transplanting should be finished as early in the 

 rains as possible. A seedling, planted in the first fifteen 



