62 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



should be sown in drills at intervals across the 

 slope of the hill. The plants can be kept short by 

 pruning. The Crotalarias are nitrogen-producing 

 plants, and so will rather enrich the soil than 

 otherwise. 



Cover plants such as Ground Nuts and the Giant 

 Bean (Mucuna gigantea) are also useful for stay- 

 ing wash. The former are, however, likely to 

 -attract pigs, and the latter may cause some trouble 

 by climbing the plants. If these plants are used 

 they should be dug into the land when the seeds 

 are ripe. In this way re-sowing may be saved. 



On the more level parts of the estate it will be 

 advisable to delay making drains until they are 

 found necessary to prevent wash. It is very much 

 better that all rain should soak into the soil than 

 that a part of it should be run off by drains. Some 

 soils will absorb very much more water than 

 others; but as a rule, unless the slope is fairly 

 steep, our soil in Uganda is sufficiently open and 

 absorbent to readily take up the water of any 

 ordinary shower. 



Portioning out the Estate. If all the three pro- 

 ducts we are considering are to be planted, the 



