TRANSPLANTING. 77 



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, in- 

 terfere 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 Euro- 

 pean 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 days 

 of June, is worth two planted in July, and after the latter 

 month it is generally a case of seedlings and labour lost. 



Days with heavy rain are not good to plant in. Those 

 with showers or light drizzling rain are best. When there is 

 very heavy rain the soil ' cakes ' much. Fine days, if the 



