80 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



buried. The succulents, however, will not die if 

 merely dug up and left on the surface of the 

 ground. The stems all have the power of 

 rooting very quickly, and in a very few days the 

 growth is going on as if no disturbance had taken 

 place. An easy and effective way of destroying 

 them is to bury them in the ground. For this 

 purpose, shallow holes may be dug by the weeders, 

 between the trees, and then the weeds can be 

 trodden in and covered with 6 inches of earth, 

 which will effectually smother them. 



For the couch-grasses, different methods again 

 must be adopted. Every part of these is capable 

 of rooting and growing into a perfect plant, and 

 this it can do either on the surface of the ground 

 or under it. The only way to destroy these weeds 

 is to burn them. They are the worst of all weeds, 

 owing to their habit of spreading underground 

 unseen. 



Wherever any of the couch-grasses occur, in new 

 land or old plantation, they must be dug up, and 

 every small portion removed from the soil. Of the 

 three, " Lumbugu " is by far the worst, and too 

 much care cannot be taken to prevent its spread 

 The weeders should be instructed to dig it out 



