70 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



from the beds to the field the box should be covered 

 with banana leaves to keep the sun and air from 

 the roots of the plants. 



The plants should be removed from the box only 

 by the planter, who should take them one at a time 

 as he is ready to plant them, the carrier keeping 

 beside him until his box is empty. 



These instructions may seem to the inexperi- 

 enced to be unnecessarily minute, but if they are 

 observed it will be found that the work will go on 

 rapidly and smoothly, and be well done. A gang 

 of 50 men working as recommended above will put 

 down in a day about 10,000 plants. The men will, 

 of course, require very close supervision to ensure 

 that everything is properly done ; and as the piece- 

 work system tends to put a premium on hasty 

 work, it should be specially avoided by employers 

 in this department of industry. 



If a morning that has been suitable for planting 

 operations should open out later into a dry sunny 

 day, it will be wise to suspend the work until the 

 atmospheric conditions are again favourable. 



Distances of Planting. There is much dif- 

 ference of opinion as to the best spacing for the 

 various crops; and experience in Uganda is not 



