LINING AND MARKING. 59 



soil would be mostly covered over with the earth taken 

 out of the pits, and thus be protected from the fire. On 

 the other hand, the " lines " could not be marked out 

 with accuracy or with any regularity, so that the estate 

 would subsequently suffer to some extent in appearance, 

 though it is an open question how far this drawback is 

 worth considering in comparison with the other advan- 

 tages gained. When there is not sufficient timber to 

 make a good burn, the brush is felled and burnt in heaps, 

 after which the ground is carefully gone over for the 

 purpose of rooting up the tree stumps which remain, 

 but these are sometimes so difficult to eradicate that they 

 are left to decay, care being taken, however, to knock 

 off shoots as fast as they appear. It is, however, a bad 

 method and one seldom followed, as the rotting stumps 

 harbor vermin of all kinds. After burning the wood the 

 ashes should be scattered evenly over the ground as 

 manure to enrich the soil. 



Immediately after the burn the plantation is "lined 

 and marked out " for the reception of the plants, the two 

 following methods being most in vogue among old and 

 experienced planters : (i) A base line is laid down as 

 nearly as possible straight up and down the slope, and a 

 cross line is set off exactly at right angles to it ; on this 

 line stakes are driven into the ground at the distances 

 determined upon for the final position of the young 

 plants, to each stake a rope is fixed and stretched par- 

 allel with the base line, and as straight as possible, 

 smaller stakes being provided along these lines, a rope is 

 then finally held across them at succeeding stages of 

 equal width as guided by measuring poles and the small 



