MAXCIAL OF TIIK NILAGIRl DISTRICT. 525 



For the purpose of sowing seeds with regularity and precision CH. XXIX. 

 I generally employ a board about 2| inches broad, and of a length rp^^ 



equal to the width of the bed. Along each side of the board corre- 



spending notches are cut 2| inches apart, and these denote the spot 

 on which each seed is to be placed. By always working with a few 

 rows uncovered, the lines may be kept straight throughout the 

 whole length of the bed. The seeds should be sown in shallow 

 drills about 1^ inches deep. A board as described above makes 

 the seedlings stand about 3^ to 2^ inches apart in the bed : and 

 this is about as close as will admit of the young seedlings being 

 taken up subsequently with a good ball of earth attached to their 

 roots. 



If it is desired to produce seed that shall remain true to a certain — propaga- 

 type, that procured from plants raised from cuttings is most likely c^t^tjngg. 

 to attain the desired object ; but for general purposes the planting 

 out of cuttings cannot be too strongly condemned. But with regard 

 to yield the experiment has been made overand over again in various 

 districts during the past twenty years, and in no case with anything 

 like the success that attends the planting out of seedlings. The 

 reason is obvious. Let any one examine the roots of a four or 

 five-year old plant raised from a cutting, and he will find that it 

 shows no sign of possessing a tap-root. Such plants consequently 

 sufier much in dry weather, and even in favourable seasons do not 

 yield in anything like the same proportion as bushes that have 

 been grown from seed. For these hills there is nothing like a 

 small healthy seedling, taken up with a compact ball of earth 

 adhering to its roots. Early or late in the season it stands the shift 

 better, is sooner established, and when once started makes rapid 

 growth. The utmost care is needed not to bend or otherwise 

 injure the tap-root of the plant, and in transplanting the roots 

 should be buried just up to the collar and no further. From 4 to 

 6 inches in height is a nice size at which to plant seedlings out. 

 I have seen many planters fork up or pull like carrots both tea 

 and coffee seedlings, and plant them out regardless of the tap- 

 root being broken. No one could expect such a plant to thrive. 

 Shading in favourable monsoon weather is in my opinion unneces- 

 sary and unadvisable, but in the case of planting of necessity, 

 very early or very late, in broken weather, will do much to 

 establish and keep the plants in health, I would strongly urge 

 the importance of careful planting : vacancies are avoided, and a 

 fine growth encouraged. It is best to leave the young plants 

 alone for a month or six weeks after planting, when a good 

 weeding may be given all over the estate. From this time 

 however the land cannot be kept too scrupulously clean. A 

 cooly should plant out 200 to 250 plants in a day. Sickly plants 

 can generally be detected three months after planting, and these 



