NURSERIES 83 



doubt, if a planter was absolutely certain of being able to 

 promptly plant out all the young plants, these distances would, 

 in ordinary circumstances, be sufficient, as, when the young 

 plants were very tender, each one would help to shade the 

 others. It is, however, a very common thing in all parts of the 

 East to find seedlings which have been left in the nurseries 

 for twelve, eighteen or twenty-four months, or even longer, 

 and in such cases the extremely close planting is bound to have 

 had injurious effects on the health of the young plants. When 



FIG. 20. Nursery, with Shade removed before Planting-out. 



such long-delayed seedlings are taken out of the nursery the 

 roots suffer severely. 



The tender seedlings should be protected from the strong 

 glare of the sun by thatched coverings of attaps or bamboo 

 matting. Later on, when the seedlings have established them- 

 selves, these coverings should be gradually removed, so that 

 the young plants may be hardened and thus enabled to with- 

 stand the glare and heat of the tropical sunshine. Unless this 

 is attended to they are apt to wither and require heavy sup- 

 plying. 



It is, of course, necessary to water the seedling plants well 



