178 SYLVICULTURE IN THE TROPICS PT . 



ii 



hole is wider than the ball of earth by the thickness of 

 the blade of the instrument, the ball of earth fits in 

 easily. In the Tropics, where weeds are more abundant 

 and spring up easily, there are not many places where 

 a greater degree of tilth is not necessary. 



If the transplants have been grown in supply- 

 baskets, all that is required to be done is to break 

 open the bottom of the basket in order to enable the 

 roots to pass through into the sub-lying soil. The 

 basket is held at the right level in the hole, while the 

 spoil-earth, which has been lying airing near its mouth, 



Fio. 59. 



Fig. 60. 



is raked in and pressed down so as to get complete 

 contact (Fig. 59). The same method of planting is 

 adopted with other plants having balls of earth round 

 their roots. They should be examined, if the soil is 

 clayey, before they are put in, to see whether the earth 

 has been squeezed in too tight, and, if so, the surface 

 of the ball should be slightly loosened. When the 

 transplants are small, the holes can be partly filled with 

 earth before they are put in ; and when the plants have 

 been lifted with the circular transplanter it will be, 

 perhaps, best to fill the hole with earth, press it down, 

 and then cut out in its centre a smaller hole with a 

 circular transplanter of the same size. The ball is then 



