90 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



everything it requires in a natural soil cannot be 

 usefully hastened in growth by the addition of 

 more food to its roots. Strong fertilizers will 

 have the harmful result of forcing a soft, fleshy 

 and unfruitful growth. 



As a general rule, no manure should be thought 

 of until the trees are cropping. There may be 

 exceptions to this in the cases of very poor soils, 

 but then such soils are unsuitable for plantations, 

 and should not have been chosen. 



A soil is impoverished only to the extent of the 

 crop removed from it; and against this must be 

 placed the return made by the trees in the shedding 

 of their leaves, the addition of nitrogen carried 

 from the atmosphere by rain, and the action of 

 the roots of the trees and cultivation in aiding 

 nitrifying bacteria in the soil to bring into an 

 available condition the large stores of unavailable 

 food. One per cent, of nitrogen in an analysis 

 means 30,000 Ibs. per acre in the top 12 inches of 

 soil. The amount of nitrogen removed by an 

 average crop of Coffee or Cocoa we are not aware 

 of, but we know that a wheat crop removes 20 Ibs. 

 So we see how vast are the stores of plant food in 

 a good soil, and how much we can increase fertility 



