74 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



large vigorous Tea plants under trees. It is therefore evident 

 trees are hurtful, and no more should be left in a garden than 

 are required for the labourers to sit under occasionally, and to 

 collect leaf under before it is taken to the Tea-house. The 

 trees that are left should be those on the sides of roads. One 

 to every two or three acres is ample. After therefore cutting 

 down all the low jungle, cut down all but the said few trees 

 (it is cheaper in the end than ringing them), and then cut off, 

 and cut up all the branches into sizes that will burn readily. 

 Cut up the large trunks also into lengths, for all that 

 will not burn must be carried off later. Leave all so lying 

 until February, then choose a day with a high wind and fire 

 it from the windward side. It may burn some days. Then 

 collect all unburnt into heaps, and fire again and again 

 until nothing more will burn. Now take out all roots, big 

 and small, and when well dry, stack all these, and what was 

 left before, and fire again and again. The land should now 

 be tolerably clear and can be dug at once. The roads 

 should be marked off before this, for they are better not dug. 



Now stake the land at the distances determined on, and 

 a month before the rains, or even more, if you are so far 

 advanced, make holes for the young seedlings at each stake, 

 precisely like those recommended for ' planting at stake/ 

 page 58. Only, if possible, these should be a little larger 

 each way than there advised, say 10 inches diameter and 15 

 inches deep. 



Read carefully the direction as to those pits, and follow 

 them out here. Much of the success of your planting 

 depends on these holes. 



At the first commencement of the rains transplant, as 

 directed under that head in the next chapter. 



Any large heavy trunks, which cannot be easily carried 

 off the land, may be placed longways between the lines, but 

 the less of dead timber you leave lying about the gardens the 

 better. 



