92 PLANTING IN UGANDA 



fermented coffee pulp; and the decomposition of 

 this material will result in only a gradual supply 

 of natural plant food. For many years to come, 

 the use as a mulch of such materials as we find to 

 hand will be all that our plantations will require 

 in the way of manuring. 



The manner of applying manure may be briefly 

 referred to. The practice in temperate climates 

 is to apply manure to vacant land, or amongst trees 

 in the dormant season. The manure is then 

 ploughed or dug in to ensure that no loss of its 

 properties takes place by exposure to the air. 

 This practice must not, however, be attempted 

 with our crops. All our trees are surface rooting, 

 and any deep digging in order to bury manure 

 would result in the destruction of the feeding roots 

 which alone can take up the manure. The manure 

 should be spread over the surface of the soil, and 

 rains will wash it down to the roots of the trees. 



A system of manuring termed green manuring 

 has been extensively practised in recent years. 

 This system consists in growing a selected weed of 

 the leguminous order, and cutting it down and 

 returning it to the soil before flowering. Legu- 

 minous plants have the power of fixing the free 



