96 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



rootlets to pass through, besides the basket rots quickly under 

 ground, so quickly it cannot impede the plant. 



Seed is not sown at once in the baskets as in the pots, 

 because the baskets would not last so long. Even putting 

 the seedling in it during (say) February, the basket, with the 

 occasional watering necessary, will, more or less, have rotted 

 before it is put into the hole. 



I have concluded a contract for ten thousand pots and 

 five thousand baskets at half an anna each for both kinds. 

 Two pice, to ensure the filling up of a vacancy, is not a large 

 outlay. 



Since writing the above I have had experience of both 

 the above plans. The pot system is far the better, and 

 answers very well.* I am now trying to improve this still 

 further by making the pots a little larger, and placing a thin 

 inner lining of tin inside each about half an inch from the 

 sides. This space is first filled with sand, then the pot is 

 filled with mould, and the tin pulled out. The same tin 

 will therefore do for any number of pots. The seed is then 

 put in. 



I think by this plan if, when about to plant, the mould 

 in the pot is well wetted, that it, with the seedling, can be 

 turned out whole in one piece, and then put in the hole 

 without the pot. 



The same pots would then answer year after year, and 

 the expense would be quite nominal. 



If well done, the seedling in this, as in the former case, 

 would not even know it had been transplanted. t 



* The baskets are too frail ; being often wetted, they fall to pieces before 

 the planting time. 



f It may be that the transplanting and transporting tools invented by 

 Mr. Jeben (see page 79) will solve the difficulty of filling up vacancies. 



